Van Riemsdyk comfortable with return to Flyers

VOORHEES, N.J. » Amid the “chaos” of his first experience as a sought-after free agent, James van Riemsdyk never gave up the search for the one intangible that would help make his decision easier.

“That sense of comfortability is definitely there,” the newest old Flyer said of his prodigal return Sunday. “I’m happy now to be coming back to Philadelphia. I think it’s going to be a great fit and I’m really excited to get started.”

With that — and when he finally found a working printer — van Riemsdyk made official his acceptance of a fiveyear, $35 million contract. For the Flyers, it is their most celebrated free agency signing since ... Vinny Lecavalier?

They probably should feel a bit more comfortable about this one.

“The one thing we felt really comfortable with was James was drafted as a Flyer,” general manager Ron Hextall said. “Whenever you’re drafted somewhere you do have a little bit more at stake there. So we felt with the fit — we needed some size, we needed goal scoring, we needed a left winger — this one just fit all around for us and I think James felt the same way.”

Van Riemsdyk said he stayed close to the Flyers, which he considered “a classy organization” even after ex-GM and current club president Paul Holmgren pulled the trigger on a trade near the end of the 2012 NHL Draft in which van Riemsdyk went to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Luke Schenn.

Arguably, it could be called

CHRIS O’MEARA — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Former Toronto Maple Leafs left wing James van Riemsdyk (25) has signed a five-year contract to rejoin the Philadelphia Flyers.