Around deadline time, the Edmonton Oilers were in the market for a center to help in the faceoff circle and with scoring depth. The team decided to trade for David Desharnais the night before the deadline and elected to use the veteran in a bottom six role for the duration of the season and the playoffs.
One name that was tossed around prior to the deadline was former U of A Golden Bear Derek Ryan, who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes. The 30 year old center wasn’t moved by Carolina at the deadline, but he’ll be a free agent on July 1st and is likely to be a depth target for the Oilers.
If Edm looking at Derek Ryan, i’m sure Bob Stauffer would be all over it as former Goldeb Bear, eh? Scouting report from Stauff
— Jim Matheson (@NHLbyMatty) February 24, 2017
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Does Ryan fit with the Oilers? What does he bring to the table? Let’s find out, shall we?
Why Is He Out There?:
Ryan’s contract is expiring and he’ll be a free agent come July 1st, so he’s likely to hit the market as this will be his first time as a free agent with any kind of true value. He was solid for Carolina, but the Hurricanes have a plethora of bottom six forwards and will likely turn their attention to the top of the depth chart when it comes to additions this summer.
It’s possible that Carolina adds a player like Matt Duchene, who in turn pushes everyone down the depth chart a notch. That could be enough to make Ryan expendable as Carolina still has guys like Jordan Staal, Victor Rask, and Elias Lindholm on the roster.
What Does He Do Well?:
Ryan is an interesting player because he’s a small bottom six forward (5’11”, 170 lbs) who plays more of a skilled game. His style fits that of a top-six forward, but his production and TOI numbers suggest he is a bottom six kind of guy. This season, he posted boxcars of 11-18-29 and averaged 14:53 TOI per night.
He’s a good skater and has solid offensive instincts that allow him to play up the lineup in short stretches if need be. Ryan is known more as a playmaker, but his eleven goals this season prove that he can in fact put the puck in the net at this level.
Special teams wise, Ryan can help on the man advantage and is a right-shot, which would make him valuable to Edmonton. As we saw this past season with Mark Letestu, a right-shot center can have a lot of success in Edmonton’s system on the powerplay.
Ryan was stellar on the dot this season, coming in at 14th overall in the NHL with a 55.3% success rate on 707 face-offs. His Corsi-for % at five-on-five was 50.9 %, which was average for the Hurricanes, and he started 59% of his shifts in the offensive zone.
I’d classify Ryan as a depth offensive center who can help in the face-off circle. Not a ton of defensive value, but still a helpful piece.
Where Will He Play/Where Should He Play?:
Ryan is interesting because his natural position is center, but as a right-shot forward it isn’t crazy to suggest that he could see some time on right wing. If Edmonton runs Leon Draisaitl down the middle, perhaps Ryan could find himself in Edmonton’s top-six on the right wing. If Leon is on the right side, Ryan is likely the third or fourth center on Edmonton’s depth chart.
Ideally, if Ryan is going to be a center he would play in the bottom six. If he’s a winger, well as we know a lot of players have taken time with Connor McDavid and turned it into gold. I’m not saying Ryan would definitely be that guy, but his resume fits the bill.
What Will He Cost?:
Ryan’s last contract was a big time value deal, paying him just $600,000 for one season of service. Ryan is a cheap option and wouldn’t break the bank, so a one-year pact at $1.2 million probably gets it done. If the Oilers wanted to ensure Ryan signs and possibly steal some real value, they could give him a second year on the contract. It’s a risk, but if it pays off it would be a complete steal.
Closing Argument:
One of the keys for the Edmonton Oilers will be to find players that can contribute on value contracts. Derek Ryan isn’t a sexy name, but he did post 29 points on a poor offensive team a season ago and could provide more on a stronger Edmonton team in 2017-18.
He wouldn’t cost much, could provide exceptional value and fits Edmonton’s needs like a glove. Ryan is a skilled forward who can play center, right wing, help in the face-off circle and contribute some offense. With money likely to be tight this summer, Peter Chiarelli would be wise to look at the former Golden Bear.
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