Injury News JVR may need hip surgery

[hf101]

But few players have dealt with more behind the medical curtain than James van Riemsdyk.

After sitting out for four games earlier this month with a muscular tear in his midsection, van Riemsdyk has been hampered by two different injuries recently that has limited his production on the scoresheet. Van Riemsdyk, 22, has just one goal and two assists in his last 10 games since returning from the muscular tear. He went nine straight games without a goal, a streak that was broken on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

Multiple sources confirmed yesterday that van Riemsdyk has both a cam impingement in his hip, which has been bothering him since the onset of the season, and a knee that was "banged up a few games ago" but was aided by rest over the 2-day Christmas holiday break.

When asked yesterday after an hourlong practice, van Riemsdyk said he didn't want to delve into specifics about his injuries.

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren denied both of van Riemsdyk's injuries when asked yesterday.

"Lots of guys have issues throughout the season," Holmgren said in a text message.

A source said that van Riemsdyk could require offseason surgery to correct his hip injury, which is a common occurrence in hockey players. One recent report suggested that more than 50 percent of all NHL players have a similar hip injury due to overuse. A cam impingement occurs when the ball-shaped femoral head rubs abnormally or does not have full range of motion in the pelvic socket. This can result in damage to the cartilage surrounding the bone.

On the ice, van Riemsdyk has not appeared to be comfortable in his stride. At times, especially over the past three or four games, he appears to be laboring up and down the ice.

Overall, van Riemsdyk has nine goals and 10 assists in 29 games. When healthy, van Riemsdyk posted eight points in just four games from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5. He signed a 6-year, $25.5 million deal last summer, which kicks in next season. For now, it's safe to say that judgment should be reserved on that deal until he is given a chance to play at full-strength.

Van Riemsdyk will continue to labor through those injuries tonight in Tampa Bay, where he has collected nine points in 10 career games against the Lightning. He is the Flyers' second-best point producer against Tampa Bay after Jaromir Jagr's 71 points in 58 career games.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20111227_Hip_trouble_for_Flyers__van_Riemsdyk.html#ixzz1hjtrVluf

this definitely explains why we haven't seen the JVR this season that we saw last spring

[flyerrod]

This is not real surprising. There has been much speculation that he has been hiding injuries due to his lack of production starting when he was sat in the beginning of the season ( for "unspecified"reasons).

[hf101]

This is not real surprising. There has been much speculation that he has been hiding injuries due to his lack of production starting when he was sat in the beginning of the season ( for "unspecified"reasons).

Agreed, hopefully this public knowledge can put to rest the trade JVR rumors.

[DaGreatGazoo]

@hf101

Would explain his apparent lack of effort, I always complain about...hard to skate 100% if he has that injury. This team is just cursed with injuries this year. WTH!?!

[Vincent05]

Wow, more bad news. I wonder how worst can this season get, maybe Bryz is also injured that's why he isn't paying like he suppose to.

[flyerrod]

I still think that JVR could be on the trading block, due to his reasonable salary and the fact that to get a real d-man you have to give something up......

[merrex]

Agreed, hopefully this public knowledge can put to rest the trade JVR rumors.

Yeah, and it would also put a rest to the Weber/ Yandle rumors too. He needs to be part of the package for one of these two. Notice how Homer downplayed his injuries? I'm sure he's not too happy about his blue chip trade bait being exposed in the media.

[The Quigster]

Speaking of Homer,has he had any more bike accidents?

[aziz]

Agreed, hopefully this public knowledge can put to rest the trade JVR rumors.

what public knowledge? "Multiple sources confirmed" who? the guy who works the pretzel stand? guy in the pro shop? one of the janitors? the injury in question, if untreated, "can result in damage to the cartilage surrounding the bone". how sure are we, based on "multiple sources", that the flyers have decided to do potentially permanent damage to one of their primary prospects by making him play ineffectual minutes in relatively meaningless games?

the article says JVR has had this problem since the "onset of the season." i'm gonna have a hard time buying it until the team releases an official statement, or some names are at least tied to the quotations. with 82+ games to go, why would holmgren decide to have JVR grind the entire season out on a bum hip? best case, JVR can't play well like that, worst case JVR screws his hip up for good. where's the motivation to do that?

i'll wait until "multiple sources" have the stones to go on the record.

[Jmdodgesrt4]

Well how long is the recovery time for such a surgery? If it's 2 months do it now. Healthy for playoffs.

[Leach27]

now can we call back up sesito?

[hf101]

what public knowledge? "Multiple sources confirmed" who?

...you know, if it was JVR himself who said it in an interview, you wouldn't believe it, so why should I be surprised your struggling with a report which states that JVR has been struggling with injuries this season. (abdominal, hip, and knee) I mean why would a Flyers reporter take the time to confirm a story for us readers with multiple sources? Is that not a normal part of their job?......quotes and all from team sources are nice, but just sometimes those sources don't want to be quoted in the press, especially if it is something that Holmgren and company are keeping tight lipped. Why would Servali even bother with a story like this, especially since it isn't even possibly believable?

JVR's play sure isn't 100%, that we can observe, and we can observe that he appears to be laboring with less power than in the past. How many games have members of this board stated "where's JVR"...."he is invisible out there" .........I guess he just chooses to not be the player he was last spring in the playoffs.

Holmgren did say when asked about JVR, with a response "many are playing through injuries"......can you not fathom that Holmgren was including JVR?

the injury in question, if untreated, "can result in damage to the cartilage surrounding the bone". how sure are we, based on "multiple sources", that the flyers have decided to do potentially permanent damage to one of their primary prospects by making him play ineffectual minutes in relatively meaningless games?

I guess at this time the medical staff has decided that with treatment JVR is able to play with the injury. There have been Flyers in the past who play through the season with hip labrum issue, JVR wouldn't be the first.

the article says JVR has had this problem since the "onset of the season." i'm gonna have a hard time buying it until the team releases an official statement, or some names are at least tied to the quotations. with 82+ games to go, why would holmgren decide to have JVR grind the entire season out on a bum hip? best case, JVR can't play well like that, worst case JVR screws his hip up for good. where's the motivation to do that?

You may not hear an official word until the season ends when Holmgren makes his final report stating that JVR will have hip surgery in the coming week. At that point you can put the pieces of the puzzle together,.............that JVR's season wasn't spectacular do to a lingering cam impingement in his hip that was found to be bothering him all season.

[aziz]

I mean why would a Flyers reporter take the time to confirm a story for us readers with multiple sources?

he didn't confirm anything. he just said, "multiple sources". i mean, anyone can do that about anything. "multiple sources confirm the elvis works at a stop'n'shop outside of casper, wyoming." who confirmed, who knows? for all we know, the "multiple sources" are the multiple people on this very board speculating. that's the problem with lame reporting like this, we have zero idea what kind of authority the sources are on the subject. could've been the assistant trainer, or could've been one of the bag handlers who saw JVR limping that one time and a guy on the street who saw him gingerly get into his car once. neither you nor i have any idea, and the reality of the subject is no clearer now than it was before reading that piece. the reporter has to produce copy to meet his weekly quota and once again takes the easy way out by throwing a bunch of unsubstantiated nothing on paper and calling it jounarlism.

JVR's play sure isn't 100%, that we can observe, and we can observe that he appears to be laboring with less power than in the past. How many games have members of this board stated "where's JVR"...."he is invisible out there" .........I guess he just chooses to not be the player he was last spring in the playoffs.

he looks exactly like he did one year ago to the day. he hasn't fallen off his career pace, he is off the pace he set briefly over the span of a few weeks last spring. in fact, if memory serves, he is on a pace to set career high goal and point totals, right? he just isn't on that ppg run he found momentarily in the playoffs. at this point, i'm more willing to call that the aboration than what we've seen throughout the rest of his career. he looks like the same JVR we've seen for two and a half years, with the exception of that one stretch between april 22 and may 2.

"I guess at this time the medical staff has decided that with treatment JVR is able to play with the injury."

the condition cited in the article mentions deterioration of cartillidge in the hip area. that doesn't grow back. if he really is fighting an injury that is tearing away at the foundations of his joints, he risks doing permanent damage to himself and his career. for what? i can see the team asking briere or timonen or meszaros to play through something like that; they are bringing something to the ice that can't be easily replaced, and maybe the long term risk is worth taking for momentary gain. JVR? i'm pretty sure the flyers could find a way to replace his 19 points in 29 games without too much trouble, if it meant the difference between a permanently hobbled former 2nd overall pick and once who might one day figure a way to have some impact on the ice.

again, all i need is for the "journalist" to grow a pair and get actual information, or for the team to decide to release an official statement. this? heresay and rumour.

[The Quigster]

Look on the bright side,Schenn is back!

[hf101]

@aziz

Well on DNL the panel including Al Morganti spoke of JVR's hip ailment. No one questioned the accuracy of Servali's report, nor the fact that an injury to JVR's hip doesn't exist. No one spoke of this injury as something that is career ending, or severe enough to warrant immediate surgery. What they did discuss was how JVR needs to toughen up and play through it. That JVR needs to force himself to get to the dirty areas of the ice, like he did in the playoffs last spring.

I don't think you will see an official report from the Flyers unless JVR needs to miss some games. But as we have seen in the past, a player can play through the season and have corrective surgery immediately after.

As far as JVR on career pace.....that isn't saying that much, especially when we all know what he is capable of.

[Spinorama]

I don't think you will see an official report from the Flyers unless JVR needs to miss some games.

At this point it's painfully obvious the Flyers aren't going to reveal anything unless they absolutely have to. With all the smoke and mirrors this team has used to date, can it even be a surprise any more?

While on that subject, shouldn't that be a duh? I mean, if I were running a team, I wouldn't reveal anything publicly unless I absolutely had to. If a player is playing hurt, why let your opponents know about it? Screw the fans and the media, they don't need to know so bad as to tip off your opponents to your team's weaknesses.

[aziz]

especially when we all know what he is capable of.

well, that's something i'm begining to question. remember leino's 21 points in 19 playoff games a little bit back? JVR's 10 days of high level play aren't really setting expectations for me at this point.

[aziz]

If a player is playing hurt, why let your opponents know about it?

i just don't get why you would play someone like JVR hurt. i agree, if there is an injury, there's no percentage in telling anyone about it. but why play him at all? the kid is not a make or break piece of the team at this point. get him healthy and stop wasting the roster spot on him, if that's what is going on.

[doom88]

Yeah, and it would also put a rest to the Weber/ Yandle rumors too. He needs to be part of the package for one of these two. Notice how Homer downplayed his injuries? I'm sure he's not too happy about his blue chip trade bait being exposed in the media.

This. Although, Weber has a concussion now too.

[Spinorama]

i just don't get why you would play someone like JVR hurt. i agree, if there is an injury, there's no percentage in telling anyone about it. but why play him at all? the kid is not a make or break piece of the team at this point. get him healthy and stop wasting the roster spot on him, if that's what is going on.

couldn't agree more. The team is in first at the moment. If it were much closer to the playoffs and they couldn't afford to give away points and sitting him won't do much (I understand what he has will need surgery) then I'd get it. But they have plenty of time and are currently doing fine. Also, as you pointed out, it's not even like he's the main reason at the moment they even are where they are so why not sit him and get him right.

My only guess is in their mind, a 80% JVR is a better option than what they can call up?

[doom88]

My only guess is in their mind, a 80% JVR is a better option than what they can call up?

That's my guess. At the least, he's a decoy.

[flyercanuck]

couldn't agree more. The team is in first at the moment. If it were much closer to the playoffs and they couldn't afford to give away points and sitting him won't do much (I understand what he has will need surgery) then I'd get it. But they have plenty of time and are currently doing fine. Also, as you pointed out, it's not even like he's the main reason at the moment they even are where they are so why not sit him and get him right.

My only guess is in their mind, a 80% JVR is a better option than what they can call up?

Who's they? The morons who signed Bryzgalov? JVR needs to fix whatever it is that needs fixing. Twice last night (once on a breakaway, once in the slot) he had great scoring chances and didn't even shoot. He doesn't hit, backcheck or go into the corners, so if he isn't going to try scoring, what good is he? I'm glad to hear he is injured. Because it's better than he is playing useless hockey for no reason. And the injury can be repaired. So repair it!

[flyerrod]

Who's they? The morons who signed Bryzgalov? JVR needs to fix whatever it is that needs fixing. Twice last night (once on a breakaway, once in the slot) he had great scoring chances and didn't even shoot. He doesn't hit, backcheck or go into the corners, so if he isn't going to try scoring, what good is he? I'm glad to hear he is injured. Because it's better than he is playing useless hockey for no reason. And the injury can be repaired. So repair it!

The only reason that I see for him not fixing it at this point is he has to be playing to be traded.....(I think). He is not helping the team at all in his current condition. Sestito would have been a much better option than a hampered JVR.

[Spinorama]

Who's they? The morons who signed Bryzgalov? JVR needs to fix whatever it is that needs fixing. Twice last night (once on a breakaway, once in the slot) he had great scoring chances and didn't even shoot. He doesn't hit, backcheck or go into the corners, so if he isn't going to try scoring, what good is he? I'm glad to hear he is injured. Because it's better than he is playing useless hockey for no reason. And the injury can be repaired. So repair it!

Yup, the moron's who signed Bryz. I'm not arguing that an 80% JVR needs to be in there, I speculated that management must be thinking that, otherwise they'd pull him from the lineup and get him fixed. I have no clue why they just don't have him have the surgery and start recovering now when he might just get healthy before the playoffs when they'll need a repeat performance from last year's POs. I'm glad to hear he's injured too, cause this season he's been driving me nuts. I've even mentioned him numerous times as players I'd be more than willing to trade, still kinda of feel that way, though since you can sort of point to an injury as a reason I'm willing to forgive him... sorta. I don't think injury is any reason he wouldn't shoot in the situations you listed above.

[Mad Dog]

how sure are we, based on "multiple sources", that the flyers have decided to do potentially permanent damage to one of their primary prospects by making him play ineffectual minutes in relatively meaningless games?

Logically, you would think they would protect their asset and not risk his long-term health. But honestly, won't surprise me if they do just the opposite. This team displayed their incompetence when it comes to making medical decisions on several occasionas in the past. Why this stiff McCrossin is still employed is beyond me.