Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk ended up staying put in Philadelphia on Friday in a strange series of events that unfolded minutes before the NHL trade deadline.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported a deal was in place to send van Riemsdyk to the Detroit Red Wings, but that agreement quickly fell through. It’s unclear what threw a wrench in the trade.
Van Riemsdyk hasn’t quite been able to recapture his normal scoring touch from years past, recording nine goals in 41 games for the Flyers in 2022-23. The 33-year-old underwent finger surgery at the end of October, which caused him to miss more than a month of action.
The native of New Jersey is in the final season of a five-year, $35-million contract ($7-million cap hit) he signed with the Flyers in 2018. He was drafted by Philadelphia with the second-overall pick in the 2007 draft. He broke out as a perennial 20-goal threat as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, spending six years with the franchise before signing back with Philadelphia as a free agent.
Philadelphia already has its sights set on the draft lottery, currently sitting in seventh place in the competitive Metropolitan Division. Not being able to recoup an asset for a veteran on an expiring contract is undoubtedly a disappointment for Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher.
More to come.
