Teams destined for the postseason who think they could use a little additional scoring touch might want to ring up the Philadelphia Flyers.
With the Flyers free-falling in the standings, it’s pretty clear they’ll be lumped in with the sellers as we move toward the March 3 NHL trade deadline. One name Philly is definitely taking calls on? James van Riemsdyk.
“The Philadelphia Flyers have made him available,” said Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek on the 32 Thoughts segment during the second intermission of Hockey Night in Canada.
Originally drafted second overall by the Flyers in 2007, JVR returned to Philly on a five-year deal worth $7 million annually in the summer of 2018 after six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The left winger returned to the lineup earlier this month after having surgery to repair a broken finger in late October.
With his goal Saturday night in Philadelphia’s 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers, van Riemsdyk now has five goals in 12 games — good for a 34-goal clip — this season.
As Marek noted, clubs that could use a little help on the power play might think about carving out a spot for the six-foot-three forward who’s done a lot of damage from the lip of the crease over the course of his long career.
Speaking of damage, van Riemsdyk’s cap hit could come down a bit if Philly eats a bit of salary on the deal that expires in a matter of months. And, as Marek pointed out, the actual cash payout is only $5 million this year, with $1 million of that already having been delivered in the form of a signing bonus.
The 33-year-old van Riemsdyk scored 24 goals in 82 games for the Flyers last season and basically scored at a 27-goal pace through the first three years of his second act in Philadelphia.
The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers are just a couple teams with big playoff aspirations who could benefit from his added offensive punch.
