I'm going to have more on him in a bit, but I wanted to post a quick something on the emergence of James van Riemsdyk.
He caught a lot of flack for being the 2nd overall pick and still deciding to attend UNH. While he was there, he caught a lot of flack for not being as dominant as everyone expected him to be. I said to be patient. His skill was never in question, but when you're 6'3 you're expected to use your size and he just didn't have the strength yet to be able to use his size effectively.
Two years later when he turned pro, he caught more slack when he struggled to adjust, especially after Pat Kane's incredible rookie season. Comparisons were made and I again said to be patient. It's hard for a young guy like him to find his place on a team with depth. So quickly we forget how awful the Blackhawks were for years until recently, where as the Flyers just had that one fluky season.
Sidenote - Interestingly enough, we're seeing very much the same thing between Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall. It's easy for a young and still developing top six player to earn ice time on a team that's struggling. It's a completely different story when you're on a team with depth.
van Riemsdyk still caught a lot of flack despite putting up 35 points in his rookie season - good enough for 8th in the league among rookies while earning well below the average ice time of those ahead of him. I heard all about everything he wasn't - He wasn't physical enough. He wasn't scoring enough. He wasn't aggressive enough...Again, I said to be patient.
While he still carried all those labels that have been put on him over the past few years throughout most of this year as he earned 21 goals and 40 points with just a smidge more ice time, he is consistently showing that it might be time for some new labels.
van Riemsdyk's play without the puck has greatly improved. He's using his size more effectively, getting his nose dirty and, more importantly, is much more reliable in his own zone not to mention his improvement on the offensive side of things. He's gotten better and better as the season has gone on and has earned First Star honors in the Flyers first two playoff games this season and rightfully so. He's been a beast, showing focus, determination and a willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
The draft is not an indication of how likely you are to succeed in the NHL right away, but is a projection of how good you will be at your best. We're seeing just the tip of the iceberg with James van Riemsdyk.
Julie
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