MLive’s Ansar Khan and the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted articles discussing free agent forward Bobby Ryan’s attempt to stick with the Red Wings via a professional try-out this fall. This morning, the Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a subscriber-only article which discusses Ryan’s desire to take on a leadership-and-or-mentorship role with the Red Wings:
Ryan’s season ended in late March when he needed surgery for a torn triceps, but had a great start scoring four goals in his first three games. A former second-overall pick in 2006 NHL draft, Ryan was a good mentor alongside fellow veterans Sam Gagner and Marc Staal.
“I think those things will add to a decision that they will have to make,” Ryan said. “My body of work speaks for itself, however limited it may have been last year with 33 games and a couple injuries that kind of derailed the season. I like to think even though it was an injury that ended the year, we ended on a positive note with my conversations. I think they look at what they brought to the room and there is an experience level that not a lot of guys in the room have right now — myself, Stallsie and Gags maybe at the upper echelon of games played. Guys can rely on that, guys can bounce ideas off that.
“We talk about a mentor role, but I still think there is a place in the game for a guy to bridge that gap between coach and player, so all those little things I hope would add in. I think they realized, too, how much I wanted to be here and loved being here last year.”
Continued (paywall), and Ryan seems to feel the same way about War and Peace that I do:
With players essentially confined to their hotels when on the road, Ryan took up reading. He left off with “War and Peace” at the of the season and conceded he didn’t finish it. “I couldn’t,” he said, laughing. I tried it. I got a good amount of it. I just felt like it was homework. It’s still on the shelf and collection dust, but I will get back to it, I promise I will.”