James van Riemsdyk is just the latest Philadelphia Flyers forward to ink a lengthy contract extension. Unlike those before him, however, he hopes to actually stick around for the length of the deal.
James Van Riemsdyk Signs Six Year Contract Extension With Philadelphia Flyers
James van Riemsdyk will be a Philadelphia Flyer for the foreseeable future, as the former No. 2 overall pick signed a six-year extension with the club on Tuesday.
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As first reported by Dave Isaac of Philadelphia Sports Daily, van Riemsdyk and the Flyers agreed to a six-year contract extension on Tuesday, a deal that’s worth $22.5 million over the course of the term. That brings the contract in at $4.25 million per year beginning in the 2012-13 season.
van Riemsdyk tweeted that he's excited to stay in Philly, that he loves playing in Philly and that the Flyers are a class organization. It's almost identical to what the recently-departed Mike Richards said about the organization after signing a 12 year contract with the club several years ago. No word on if there's a no-trade clause in the deal.
It's definitely a contract that the Flyers hope will be a bargain. He'll be an unrestricted free agent by the end of the deal, and it's a different approach to signing a young star than what the Flyers did last season with Claude Giroux, who signed a three-year extension that will keep him a restricted free agent at the end.
The hope for Paul Holmgren is that van Riemsdyk continues growing as a power forward, and that he keeps up the level of play that he displayed in the 2011 playoffs. If that’s the case, it’ll be a fantastic deal for the Flyers. If not, well... again, JvR better hope for that no-trade clause.
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