The day after he partook in Philly’s 5-0 shellacking of Detroit, Chris Vande Velde has been placed on waivers.
The move is reportedly to clear roster space for Zac Rinaldo, set to return on Thursday in Anaheim after missing the last 10 games with a high ankle sprain.
Vande Velde, 26, signed a one-year pact with the Flyers in December and went on to appear in 17 games, registering one assist while averaging close to eight minutes a game. He was used primarily as a fourth-line, penalty-killing center, though Adam Hall’s superior faceoff ability limited some of the situations Vande Velde could be used in.
As for Rinaldo, he suffered the ankle sprain on Jan. 9, but has recovered faster than the original six-week timetable provided by Flyers GM Paul Holmgren.
The injury came at a time when the agitating forward had firmly established himself as a regular presence in the Philly lineup, as Rinaldo was one of just nine players to appear in Philly’s first 44 games of the year.
The 23-year-old led the Flyers with 101 penalty minutes and 135 hits at the time of his injury, averaging 7:30 of ice-time per-game.
