Van Riemsdyk

James van Riemsdyk has heard the trade rumblings for the better part of a year - since signing a six-year, $25.5 million extension that kicks in this fall - but the Flyers winger can do little more than laugh. On Sunday night, NBC10's Howard Eskin reported that van Riemsdyk has delayed surgery on a torn labrum (cartilage) in his hip to "make it difficult for the Flyers to complete a trade" that includes Columbus Blue Jackets star Rick Nash. "Trades are part of the business," van Riemsdyk, 23, told the Daily News on Monday.

TAMPA, Fla. - James van Riemsdyk did not think. He just reacted. After watching Tampa Bay defenseman Randy Jones stick his knee out on a dangerous hit against teammate Claude Giroux just 7 minutes into the game, the usually docile van Riemsdyk took exception. Van Riemsdyk, still 21, is not well versed in the art of fighting. It's not allowed in college hockey, while most NHL players learn by dabbling with trial and error in juniors. No matter. Van Riemsdyk wasn't about to let Jones get away with a move that could potentially cause a serious injury to Giroux, one of the Flyers' top scorers.

PITTSBURGH — Brayden Schenn was floating on a glass-smooth Shell Lake in Saskatchewan on Saturday afternoon when his phone rang. The Caller ID on his iPhone said it was his older brother, Luke, but Brayden wasn't sure what he could possibly want. But with the excitement in Luke's voice, Brayden knew exactly what was happening. It was something he thought a lot about, especially after watching the NHL draft on Friday night, when he heard the news about Penguins forward Jordan Staal being reunited with his older brother, Eric, in Carolina.

REMOVING HIS shinpad from his socks after a brief morning skate, Scott Hartnell moved through the buzzing Flyers locker room and tried to add to the suspense. "JVR's back in the lineup tonight!" Hartnell said, playing the role of a reporter trying to sell newspapers. Hartnell was kidding. He is rarely serious. James van Riemsdyk was not back in the Flyers' lineup against the Islanders last night, as he sat out for his 11th straight game. But van Riemsdyk's situation did take an interesting turn as he broached his concussion issues with reporters for the first time since being declared "out indefinitely" on Jan. 14. "It's a pretty slow process," van Riemsdyk said.

James van Riemsdyk scored two goals to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs past the visiting Buffalo Sabres, 3-1, on Thursday night, spoiling the NHL head coaching debut of Ron Rolston. Rolston, who until Wednesday was the head coach of the AHL's Rochester Americans, was hired as the Sabres interim coach following the club's decision to fire Lindy Ruff. Van Riemsdyk's power-play goal at 14 minutes, 28 seconds of the third - the ex-Flyer's team-leading 11th - gave Toronto breathing room after Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller stopped Van Riemsdyk with a glove save earlier.

Hard-luck left winger James van Riemsdyk suffered a broken bone in his left foot while blocking a first-period shot in the Flyers' 6-3 win over the New York Islanders Thursday. He is expected to miss several weeks. Van Riemsdyk will visit orthopedic surgeon Steven Raikin on Friday for further evaluation, general manager Paul Holmgren said. The extent of the injury will be known at that time. Winger Scott Hartnell busted on van Riemsdyk after the game. "JVR's first blocked shot and a broken foot," Hartnell said with a chuckle.

MARC-ANDRE Bourdon's shot bounced off one post and caromed off the other, and then, just 9 seconds later, Chicago turned the rebound into a goal. Twenty-five seconds after that, the Blackhawks tied the game. Suddenly, the Flyers' almost-iced victory against the same Chicago Blackhawks that last skated out of the Wells Fargo Center with the Stanley Cup on June 9, 2010, was all even. "It was a tough turn of events," coach Peter Laviolette said. "That hit the post there, I think that would have sealed it at 5-2 and buried it and put it away.

Less than 24 hours after their worst performance of the season, the Flyers were like giddy school kids ready to go on vacation. They were officially on their holiday break. The Flyers were looking past Monday's 5-0 spanking by lowly Florida and ahead to four days off. They don't practice again until Sunday, and they have seven days between the Florida loss and their next game - Tuesday in Vancouver. "Just going to relax and spend time with the kids a little bit," center Danny Briere said after an intense one-hour practice, followed by a skills competition at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night.

James van Riemsdyk had a coming-out party on Thursday night. The much-maligned Flyers winger scored two goals - the second with 32.8 seconds left - to give the Flyers a riveting, 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks before a roaring, sellout crowd at the Wells Fargo Center. Van Riemsdyk converted a Scott Hartnell pass while the Flyers were on a power play because of a high-sticking penalty by their old nemesis, Patrick Kane. "He put it right on my tape, and all I had to do was close my eyes and put it in," van Riemsdyk said after scoring his 11th goal.

The Flyers admire Marty Brodeur. Deeply. Hey, how can you not admire a guy who is the winningest goalie in NHL history, someone who has led the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cups? Never mind that he doesn't always play like Marty Legend. Never mind that, with his 40th birthday just five days away, his instincts are not quite what they used to be. Never mind that he sometimes has lapses, like the bad clearing attempt he made in Game 1 on Sunday that indirectly led to James van Riemsdyk's goal in the Flyers' 4-3 overtime win. He is still regarded by many as the Best Goalie to Ever Wear a Mask, still regarded as a player who can steal a game, like he did in the Devils' double-overtime triumph over Florida in Game 7 of the conference quarterfinals.