February 9, 2023 | 12:20pm ET
By Anthony Di Marco, TheFourthPeriod.com

MINNESOTA LOOKING AT JVR

James van Riemsdyk, forward

MONTREAL, QC — The Minnesota Wild are looking to add to their forward group ahead of the trade deadline and appear to be interested in Philadelphia Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk.

In his latest “32 Thoughts” column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Wild have interest in the 32-year-old, who is in the final year of a five-year, $35 million contract he signed with the Flyers in 2018. Through 32 games this season, van Riemsdyk has eight goals and 21 points.

A source close to the situation in Philly told me on Thursday that things are still very quiet on the trade front; the more significant dominoes will likely begin to fall before getting to second tier players like van Riemsdyk. Based on those I’ve spoken to, I get the sense the Flyers hope to pull a second-round pick in return for van Riemsdyk, though they may have to settle for a third-round selection.

As I’ve discussed with Jason Myrtetus on Stick 2 Hockey Live, it sounds like JVR would be willing to settle down in Minnesota beyond this season, too. His wife is from Minnesota and had a house built there two years ago to settle down in as their permanent home. It sounds like the player would welcome a move to the Hockey State.

In addition to the Wild, the Calgary Flames and the Dallas Stars have also been linked to van Riemsdyk, as noted in the TFP Trade Watch List.

Although a move isn’t imminent, van Riemsdyk to the Wild would make sense. When speaking to Wild General Manager Bill Guerin for a feature last month, he mentioned he would look to improve the team as long as he could find deals that made sense. Since then, reports have come out that the Wild may go “all in” ahead of the Trade Deadline and adding rental pieces fit the narrative given their cap future restraints.

Minnesota also must decide on the future of pending UFA defenceman Matt Dumba, who seems to be playing in his last season with the Wild, regardless.

Dumba, 28, carries an AAV of $6 million and has a modified no-trade clause, allowing the player to submit a 10-team no trade list. He currently ranks 25th on our TFP Trade Watch List.

According to CapFriendly, the Wild project to have a little more than $16.5 million in cap space by the trade deadline. If the Wild move Dumba – and depending what they get back for him – It could open up even more space for Guerin to go shopping over the next three weeks.

The Wild have also been linked to forwards Ivan Barbashev and Brock Boeser, and defensemen Vladislav Gavrikov and Luke Schenn.

Flyers Extend Olive Branch to Fans

On Monday, Flyers Head Coach John Tortorella sent an email to season ticket holders, outlining that the Flyers are in the infancy stages of building the team back to relevance but that it will take more time.

The following day, the team announced that season ticket holders will be credited for three games in April, which will roll over to next season as credits. In addition, the team will not be raising ticket prices in the main bowl section (non-premium sections) for the fourth consecutive year.

Over the last decade, the Flyers, both on the hockey side and business side, have used up almost all of their good will with the fans. Qualifying for the playoffs just four times and on the cusp of missing the postseason for the third straight season, the Hockey Operations department has particularly been caught in the crosshairs recently.

As I mentioned a few months back, it seemed like the Flyers were preparing to give the fans more clarity on where this team was/is heading. After a summer of, for a lack of better words, deception by GM Chuck Fletcher, the fans felt betrayed and lost trust in regard to where this team was heading.

Enter Torts.

Tortorella’s candor, realism and transparency has been a sight for sore eyes, openly admitting how far away from contention this team is, even dropping the dreaded “rebuild” word on Flyers Daily with Jason Myrtetus. After years (and decades) of seeking the “quick fix,” Tortorella’s acknowledgement as to where this team is at was music to the ear’s of many who follow and cheer for this team.

Does this mean the Flyers are going to tear it down to the studs akin to what the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks are doing with their respective rebuilds? I don’t think so, nor do I think it is necessary given the young talent this team already possesses. That being said, this is not something that can be built back up through trades and big-name free agent signings over the course of one off-season – It has to come from within, primarily the team’s culture, which had torpedoed over the last seven to eight years.

And make no mistake, even though Tortorella’s face is on it, there are others who feel the same way in Flyers’ hockey ops. As I reported last week, even despite some decent success since the Christmas break, they are well aware that they are not contenders, or even a playoff team, and still fully plan on being sellers at the trade deadline.

The fact that the business side has given back is also indicative of the organizational acknowledgement that fans have been put through the ringer. Once one of the most rabid fan bases in the NHL, there is no denying the Philly faithful have been subdued in recent years due to the lack of on-ice success. Good on the business side for recognizing that and rewarding those who have continued to stick with them.

The Flyers have a long way to go in terms of building back trust with the fans, but they have to start somewhere. Being honest, transparent, and realistic as to where the team is at is a good start, but there is still a lengthy road ahead. The business side deserves credit too, giving fans a tangible and monetary “thank you” for sticking with them.

The first step in the road back to relevancy has been taken. Now, it’s time to move on to the next phase.