The Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk is scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday to repair a broken finger. The veteran player was injured during the Flyers’ 3-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday night.
Van Riemsdyk is expected to miss around a month of hockey in order to recover from surgery, thereby disrupting what has been a strong start to the season. The 33-year-old player has scored five points (two goals and three assists) in six games, thereby ranking third in the team overall.
John Tortorella, who is serving his first year as coach, expressed his satisfaction with van Riemsdyk’s performances to date, explaining, “He’s played hard. I think there’s been a little black cloud hanging over him, with a lot of people [questioning] who he is, and what type of player he is. But I think he’s played really well since the start of the season.”
Scott Laughton is expected to fill the void left behind by van Riemsdyk during the recovery process. Despite the loss to the Sharks, Philadelphia has implemented a tough brand of hockey this season and is now 4-2, putting them in third place in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference.
