Flyers reportedly signed James van Riemsdyk

While most of Philadelphia is waiting for what Sixers will be doing free agency, the Flyers have stolen the show surprisingly early Saturday night.

Van Riemsdyk, 29, was drafted by the Flyers with number two pick in 2007 and spent his first three seasons in the NHL at Philly. The athlete hailing from Middletown, NJ, scored 47 goals and ambaded 99 points in 196 games with Orange and Black from 2009-2010 to 2011-2012.

The Flyers traded " JVR "at the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 23, 2012, for defenseman Luke Schenn. In his six seasons with the Leafs, van Riemsdyk has been transformed into a 30-goal scorer and a 60-point man. Last season, he scored 36 goals and 54 points.

The 6-foot-3, 217-pound left winger averaged 25 goals and 49 points in his six seasons in Toronto. He has twice reached the 30-goal mark – the 2013-14 (30) and 2017-18

season. JVR is also a volume shooter that the Flyers desperately need. Last season he finished the campaign with 248 shots, which placed 23rd in the NHL

The Cape Space is not the problem with the Flyers, at least not in the short term. According to CapFriendly, the Flyers have $ 21.7 million in capitalization – not taking into account van Riemsdyk's deal.

Even with the AAV of 7 million, they still have money to spend

Bringing van Riemsdyk back to Philly, Ron Hextall landed his first major deal as managing director of the Flyers . Dale Weise, the previous "big" free agent madness of Hextall, earned $ 9.4 million for four years. Most of its UFA signatures have been two-year contracts.

Before the NHL draft, he said the Flyers would "not hold a seven-year deal with a good player." On Friday, Hextall clarified the air of his strategy this summer.

"I did not speak well that day or you misunderstood me," Hextall said with a smile. "I said we would not go long-term with a good player, maybe a great player, we would watch."

Now van Riemsdyk calls himself a "great player"? This is to debate.

But van Riemsdyk greatly improves the group of attackers of the Flyers. It's a threat to the power play – he scored 11 goals in PP last season – even though he played a similar role in Toronto, just like Wayne Simmonds with the Flyers. It's an interesting piece to watch

On paper, van Riemsdyk adds a proven scorer in the top six of the Flyers and solidifies the attackers. With JVR in the mix, the Flyers finally have a legitimate front depth of the NHL

van Riemsdyk joins a group of Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, Patrick Nolan, Travis Konecny, Jakub Voracek and Simmonds. The Flyers can now use Oskar Lindblom in a third line role and the numbers game indicates that the third line of the team should feature two winged markers.

One of van Riemsdyk, Voracek, Simmonds or Konecny ​​is on the third line if all return to the club next season. If Hextall can improve his third line center, he will have all the necessary qualities to be a dangerous unit in 2018-1919.

For the moment, however, Hextall silenced his critics by reeling out a relatively large fish.

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