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Report: James van Riemsdyk “more than willing” to accept Columbus trade

James van Riemsdyk

Philadelphia Flyers’ James van Riemsdyk celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils Friday, April 1, 2011 in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Bill Kostroun

Philadelphia Flyers power forward James van Riemsdyk escaped last season’s trade deadline despite plenty of speculation that he might be moved. Now that draft day has morphed into the “other” trade deadline, his name is coming up again. Columbus beat reporter Aaron Portzline reports that JVR would accept life as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets if a trade happened.

Here’s the exact wording of that intriguing Tweet:

Have it on good authority ‪#Flyers‬ James van Riemsdyk would be more than willing to come to ‪#CBJ‬ if such a trade came to pass.

A draft day trade between the Blue Jackets and Flyers involving a recently-signed player who disappointed Philly in some way? This sounds vaguely familiar, doesn’t it? Portzline’s claim that the American forward “would be more than willing” to play for Columbus breaks from the Jeff Carter script, though, so maybe a groundhog day deal isn’t that far-fetched.

Perhaps JVR might feel a bit like Jack Johnson did when he was traded from the Los Angeles Kings. He’d be able to be “the man” - or at least a far more prominent presence - in Columbus than he might ever be in Philly. (It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of the Flyers’ legion of skilled forwards, after all.)

Of course, there’s a big difference between being open-minded about getting moved and a trade actually happening. Still, it’s fun to imagine the types of deals that could bring JVR to Ohio.

(Yes, feel free to discuss Rick Nash. It’s only natural.)