For van Riemsdyk, who broke out in the Stanley Cup playoffs with seven goals in 11 games, this summer is about picking up next season where he left off at the beginning of May.
"For me, I think it was a matter of getting an opportunity," van Riemsdyk said in a recent phone interview. "I wanted to step up for the team, above the injuries that we had, and help take the lead.
"I got a taste of it, a tiny glimpse. I want more of that."
The offseason, more than a month longer for the Flyers than last summer, already has been a whirlwind for JVR. Just a day after the Flyers were swept by Boston in the second round, van Riemsdyk jumped on a plane and ended up in Slovakia to don the red, white and blue for Team USA in the world championships.
He played in just two games, before the United States was bounced in the quarterfinals by the Czech Republic, and needed to turn back around to head home.
"It was a pretty long trip for a short stay," said van Riemsdyk, not complaining about his seventh Team USA appearance. "I wish it was longer."
JVR rested for about a week, visiting friends in Chicago, before starting to prepare for a vigorous offseason that will soon begin with a 4-week structural balance tuneup with Prentiss.
Prentiss works with each player individually for about an hour each day.
"Really, the structural-balance portion is to realign the body after a long, hard season," Prentiss said. "There are a lot of weaknesses that pop up over the course of an 82-game season. We want to first work out the kinks before we get into anything else."
After upper- and lower-body workouts, van Riemsdyk will move into a "more dynamic" group of exercises that incorporates more movement.
