Detroit Red Wings sign Bobby Ryan to one-year deal
By Nick Herrera
The Detroit Red Wings have signed Bobby Ryan, formerly of the Ottawa Senators, to a one-year deal worth $1 million.
Just minutes after the NHL’s free agency period began former second overall draft pick and last season’s Bill Masterton trophy winner Bobby Ryan signed with the Detroit Red Wings. The deal is for one year and valued at $1 million. Ryan, 33, is entering his 14th year in the NHL after spending the past seven seasons in Ottawa.
Bobby Ryan gave us all one of the best moments of the 2019-2020 season when he scored a hat trick and dropped his gloves in his home return to Ottawa after spending time in rehab for alcohol abuse.
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The fans in Ottawa gave Ryan a standing ovation, and his determination to get help, get healthy, and return to the NHL is why he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for exemplifying qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.
Ryan has scored over 30 goals four times in his career, but not since the 2011-2012 season. In his time in Ottawa Ryan has averaged .55 points per game, while playing in about 71 games a year (non-COVID years).
Today he no longer looks like the highly touted draft pick he once was, however in a rebuilding environment of Detroit he has no doubt overcome more adversity than he could face on the ice this coming season.
Detroit has about $25 million in cap space after signing Ryan and Jon Merrill. That is before re-signing (or otherwise moving) Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha. If the Red Wings return Bertuzzi and Mantha alongside Dylan Larkin and now add Bobby Ryan with some of their top draft picks from recent down years and not only could their top-six forwards be very surprising, but Ryan could find some production from his younger days.
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It will be hard not to route for Bobby Ryan in the future, even if you hold onto resentment from Detroit’s historically excellent 25 years of playoff appearances. All while keeping in mind that, given the Red Wings historically bad 2019-2020 season, that Ryan could very well be moved to a contender at next year’s trade deadline.