Flyers pending UFA van Riemsdyk likely to be traded
Published
It appears James van Riemsdyk will be among the players on the move ahead of next week's NHL trade deadline.
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reports it appears to be "an inevitability" the winger is moved as the Philadelphia Flyers are open to retaining a portion of his salary.
Johnston added the market for van Riemsdyk could heat up once Timo Meier is traded by the San Jose Sharks.
"There certainly seems to be some crossover with James van Riemsdyk, the veteran Philadelphia Flyers winger, from some of the teams that are in on Meier," Johnston said on Insider Trading. "Obviously these teams are lining up some, perhaps, secondary-type options should the domino fall not in a direction they would like.
"I’m looking at Winnipeg, Vegas, Carolina, you know, some teams that are not in on Meier, like Minnesota and Colorado I believe are keeping tabs on JVR. Look, there was some question at some point, with a $7 million cap hit whether James van Riemsdyk would be moved at this deadline. I think with the level of interest and the fact that the Flyers are willing to retain some salary, it is an inevitability that he will be traded in the next week or so."
The 33-year-old has nine goals and 23 points in 39 games this season, the fifth in his second stint with the Flyers.
Selected second overall by the Flyers in the 2007 draft, van Riemsdyk spent three years with Philadelphia to open his career before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He returned to the Flyers in 2018, signing his current five-year, $35 million contract in free agency.
The Flyers enter play Friday sitting eight points back of the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with two more games played. Philadelphia is on track to miss the postseason for the third straight year.