DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 11: James van Riemsdyk #25 of the Philadelphia Flyers plays the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center on December 11, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
With injuries to role players like Scott Laughton, and uncertainty around core players like Nolan Patrick. The Flyers need their veterans to produce as they’re expected to. Since coming back to the orange and black, 30-year-old winger James Van Reimsdyk hasn’t exactly done that. He has 67 points in 101 games which doesn’t seem so bad, but when you compare that with the contract he received, (5-years, $7 million a year) it’s fair to say the fans expected more of him. Head Coach Alain Vigneault seems to expect more out of him as well, as early season scoring struggles have forced JVR to be shuffled around the lineup, sometimes even ending up on the 4th line. “Maybe it’s something you’re not necessarily accustomed to, so you just try to have a good attitude,” Van Reimsdyk says, “Obviously we have a lot of depth on this team, so there’s a lot of good guys to play with.”
Thankfully for the Flyers, it appears JVR has found his stride as of late. After finding more playing time due to the injuries the team has endured, he has seen a large increase in his scoring. In the last 11 games Van Reimsdyk has potted 7 goals and totaled 12 points, including 4 goals in his last 3 games played. This puts him in the team lead for goals scored, and sixth for total points. JVR also compares well to other players around the league, scoring at a similar pace to Auston Matthews (8 goals in his last 11 games), and David Pastrnak (3 goals and 2 assists in his last 11).
Now that his scoring drought is seemingly behind him, JVR’s mentality, “Just to focus on playing,” seems to have done him well, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Flyers. The orange and black currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division, locked in a tight race with both the Carolina Hurricanes and rival Pittsburgh Penguins. It may seem early to start worrying about playoff positioning, but winning now makes the end of the season much easier. Van Riemsdyk’s scoring outburst has played a big role in keeping the team in the “W” column during the mid-season push.
Van Reimsdyk attributes his scoring to the depth and play of teammates, including the recently injured Michael Raffl. “He plays an important role for us,” Van Reimsdyk said “He’s been used in a lot of different situations, and has been able to be plugged in…and played on different lines.”
For now, Van Riemsdyk is looking forward to seeing his family, who happen to be a close drive away in New Jersey. Hopefully for all Flyers fans, JVR will be stuffing both stockings and nets with plenty of goals for the foreseeable future.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
