Van Riemsdyk

The Flyers will have to get along without James van Riemsdyk for the rest of the regular season and perhaps beyond. The 22-year-old left winger will undergo surgery Tuesday on his left foot and miss four to six weeks, the Flyers announced. The Flyers hope he can return when the playoffs start the second week of April. "I don't see why not," general manager Paul Holmgren said. Van Riemsdyk scored seven goals in 11 games in last year's playoffs. Van Riemsdyk broke a bone while blocking a first-period shot by Islanders defenseman Milan Jurcina in the Flyers' 6-3 win Thursday.

JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK'S season is not getting any easier. In the first period of last night's game against the Islanders, van Riemsdyk blocked a Milan Jurcina blast from the point and broke a bone in his left foot, according to Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. Originally, van Riemsdyk tried to remain on the bench to fight through the pain but soon left to get X-rays. For now, the Flyers have offered no timetable for his return. He will be re-evaluated by Dr. Steven Raikin today.

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.

SAN JOSE - Stepping onto the ice yesterday, James van Riemsdyk did not yet know whether it would be his last twirl in a Flyers uniform. He thought he was safe, but he wasn't sure - as last-minute trades trickle into the league office just minutes after the 3 o'clock deadline. For weeks, or even months, van Riemsdyk heard the trade rumors. He watched them on television. He received texts from friends. They were unescapable. Yesterday, one fan at the Sharks Ice practice facility yelled to him: "Glad you're still on the team!"

Pavel Kubina is happy to be a Flyer. After his first practice on Monday at Voorhees following his acquisition Saturday from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Kubina talked about how eager he is to get things started with his new team. An unrestricted free agent after the season, he also discussed his desire for a relationship with the Flyers beyond the season and his anticipation about playing before the home fans. As is life in the NHL, Kubina won't have much time to settle in. Following practice the Flyers traveled to Winnipeg, where they begin a four-game road trip on Tuesday.

UPDATE: The Flyers announced via Twitter that James van Riemsdyk will play today against the Pittsburgh Penguins. If he feels good when he wakes up on Saturday - and has no lingering effects from a concussion - Flyers left winger James van Riemsdyk could return to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 12. The Flyers will host the Sidney Crosby-less Penguins on Saturday afternoon in a game between teams battling for...

When the Flyers face struggling Ville Leino and the offensively challenged Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, they still will be without James van Riemsdyk. But the 22-year-old Flyers left winger appears to be making strides in his comeback from a concussion. Sidelined for more than a month, van Riemsdyk wore a regular jersey - meaning he was able to absorb contact - and spent time on the top line during Wednesday's practice in Voorhees. He replaced the flu-ridden Jaromir Jagr on a line with Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell.

No one is immune from slumps. Not rookies (see Matt Read and Sean Couturier). Not veterans (see Danny Briere and Jaromir Jagr). Unfortunately for the Flyers, many have come at the same time, contributing to their nine losses in their last 14 games. Briere hasn't scored a goal in 11 games, while Jagr has one goal in his last 16 contests. Both have struggled after returning from injuries - Briere had a concussion, Jagr a groin strain. Jagr also revealed on that he has been battling the flu for several days.

MICHAEL LEIGHTON was one collective-bargaining-agreement loophole away from rejoining the Flyers on their bench last night, almost as unlikely as the way he fell into their lap in December 2009 before leading them all the way to the Stanley Cup finals that spring. Ilya Bryzgalov, who reported to the Wells Fargo Center yesterday morning with flulike symptoms, was sent home and Phantoms backup Jason Bacashihua was recalled on an emergency basis to backstop Sergei Bobrovsky last night against Toronto.