Remember a few days ago when it was reported that the Flyers were upset at James van Riemsdyk for delaying surgery on his torn labrum? Flyers GM Paul Holmgren later denied those claims and said that his surgery was being held up due to a foot infection.
Well, now there’s a new twist on the story: according to TSN’s Darren Dreger he doesn’t need surgery after all. On top of that, he should be fine for the start of training camp.
There’s still, of course, the possibility that van Riemsdyk might be traded over the summer. It’s been speculated in the past that he might be included in a Rick Nash deal -- but that obviously doesn’t necessarily mean anything will happen.
Going into the 2011-12 campaign, van Riemsdyk was seen as a breakout candidate. Instead, he was limited to just 43 regular season games in an injury-plagued campaign.
He’s still just 23 and it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if he takes a big step forward in 2012-13. At the same time, the fact that his six-year/$25.5 million contract begins next season is both a potential reason why the Flyers might be open to dealing him, and a factor that will temper his trade value.