James Van Riemsdyk has been relegated to the fourth line for the past week and a half or so. Alain Vigneault demoted him, in hopes of sparking him offensively. Even though, JVR continues to see minutes for the most part on the top Power Play Unit, Vigneault knows there is more that JVR can offer.
With the unfortunate injury news today to a rising star in Travis Konecny (Concussion), JVR all of the sudden now has a bigger role, “I’m just focusing on playing my game, in hopes of getting better,” JVR told me last week following Wednesday’s practice, “I’m just going to continue to come in with a positive attitude, and continue to play my game.”
JVR is a class act, and he knows full well he could play better. He also knows that he is better than playing on the fourth line, and now this is his time to shine. This is his moment to turn his season around, and it’s terrible it could happen with losing the heartbeat of the locker room in Konecny.
Sports is a crazy business. One moment a player could be down in the dumps, and the next he/she could have a bigger role. Enter JVR, a guy who knows how to put the biscuit in the basket, as he tallied 27 goals last season in just 66 games played. Yes, he has only registered 6 goals in 30 games played this season, but this is now JVR’s chance at redemption with Vigneault.
Van Riemsdyk seemed faster last week, especially on the breakaway goal he scored against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He understands his reason for the demotion in the first place, now let’s hope JVR can help this young Flyers team overcome their first real taste of adversity this season.
