Detroit Red Wings: 5 potential 15-goal scorers in 2021
By Bob Heyrman
Bobby Ryan
At nearly 34-years old, Bobby Ryan‘s best days are firmly behind him, but there is a chance the Detroit Red Wings are going to get a highly-motivated Ryan in 2021.
After spending seven seasons with the Ottawa Senators, Ryan is seeking a fresh start with the rebuilding Red Wings. Detroit isn’t exactly a destination for free agents at the moment like it had been in the past, but it’s a place for a veteran scorer like Ryan to try and rejuvenate his career and show that he can still help an NHL team in various ways.
If everything goes right, Yzerman will have an opportunity to flip Ryan at the NHL trade deadline for draft capital to a playoff team looking for a third line veteran winger with some scoring upside.
Ryan signed a one-year deal worth a mere $1 million, a very tradable piece even considering the frozen salary cap. Detroit is hoping to get some offensive production from Ryan, especially on the power-play, but if he gels with the youthful Wings, don’t rule out the idea of extending the veteran winger for an additional year or two. Hopefully, he can be a great mentor to Larkin, Mantha, Bertuzzi, Fabbri, etc.
Predicting a 15 goal season for Ryan in ’21 is a long shot, understanding he hasn’t reached the 20 goal plateau in a full season since 2015-16, but he will have an opportunity to play about 17 minutes per night in Detroit, a number he hasn’t seen since that same season.
Last year Ryan scored five goals totaling eight points in 24 games.