Red Wings sign Bobby Ryan to a professional try-out

From the Red Wings on Twitter:

Here’s a bit of background from WDIV’s David Bartkowiak Jr…

Ryan, 34, played 33 games with Detroit this past season under a one-year contract. He notched 7 goals and 7 assists in that time. He scored four of those goals in his first three games with the Red Wings, which is a franchise record. But the the right wing’s season ended prematurely due to injury.

He became a restricted free agent at the end of the 2020-21 season and remains without a new contract.

The Red Wings have more than enough cap space left sign another free agent. Perhaps Ryan will sign another one-year deal.

As well as the Free Press’s Helene St. James:

Now the 2021-22 season is edging closer, and Ryan, the second overall pick in 2005 (Sidney Crosby went No. 1) is looking for work. He’s been vocal about how much he loved, even briefly, being in the Detroit area and playing for the Wings, an Original Six franchise. He was popular with the teammates, who appreciated Ryan’s embrace of being a mentor.

Can Ryan find a way to earn a job? Maybe. He’s a big (6-foot-2, 208-pound) forward who shoots right. He’s good at creating scoring opportunities, and wily around the net. That didn’t translate into many points last season, but he is savvy with the puck.

Yzerman signed Pius Suter in free agency, adding to a top six that includes Fabbri, Zadina, Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi and Jakub Vrana. 

Sam Gagner, another former high-end draft pick who shoots right, was re-signed in July. Others who will vie for spots in the bottom-six mix are returning players in Vladislav Namestnikov (who is coming off a very disappointing season), Michael Rasmussen, Givani Smith and Adam Erne.

Joe Veleno, a 2018 first-round pick who played five games for the Wings last season, should push for a spot, and then there’s Lucas Raymond, a first-round pick from 2020, and Jonatan Berggren, a second-round pick from 2018.

It looks like a crowded field for Ryan to try to elbow his way into, but there’s no risk in giving him a chance.

Update #2: Here’s a bit more from MLive’s Ansar Khan:

Bobby Ryan, after undergoing triceps surgery, said near the end of last season that he still has some hockey left in him at age 34.

He hopes to prove that to the Detroit Red Wings over the next couple of weeks after signing a professional tryout contract with the team.

Ryan will join the team for the start of training camp Thursday at Centre I.C.E. in Traverse City and presumably play in some preseason games.

He should have a decent opportunity to earn a contract. The Red Wings could use another right-shooting forward with some offensive ability, someone who can play on the power play. They have only three right-shooting forwards on the roster (Sam Gagner, Mitchell Stephens, Carter Rowney) and only one (Gagner) who is likely to be used on the power play (right-shooter Lucas Raymond will be competing for a job).

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

3 thoughts on “Red Wings sign Bobby Ryan to a professional try-out”

  1. I have to admit, this feels like a Ken Holland move in that I can see him playing well enough to end up on the roster, blocking a younger player’s opportunity, and then doing nothing with that opportunity. If someone is going to finish with ten points in 65-70 games, I’d rather it be a younger player with potential to grow than a vet hanging on for one last season.

    Needless to say, Yzerman and his brain trust know what they are doing. I trust their judgement, they’ve forgotten more about running a hockey team than I’ll ever know.

    1. Here’s hoping that Bobby finds an NHL job with another team while giving the Wings depth for the exhibition season.

  2. My thoughts exactly. Godspeed Bobby, here’s hoping you play well enough to attract an offer from a contender.

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