Carolina Hurricanes: Derek Ryan Could be the Biggest X-Factor this Season
By Brett Finger
The Carolina Hurricanes quietly made a signing this offseason which could have a big impact on this year’s team.
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The Canes signed forward Derek Ryan to a one-year, two-way deal on June 16, and although the player’s future isn’t clear, he has one heck of a track record up to this point.
Ryan, 28, went undrafted out of the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, so after his eligibility ran out there, he played in the CIS with the University of Alberta.
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There, Derek Ryan shined as a high-end scorer, scoring 146 total points in 109 games at Alberta during his four-year career there. This opened the door to him returning to professional hockey, but not in North America.
Ryan played three seasons from 2011 to 2014 in Austria, where he continued to demolish all of his opponents. In three seasons, Derek Ryan tallied a remarkable 199 points in 158 games split with Székesfehérvár and Villacher SV.
He won the league’s Most Valuable Player award following the 2013-2014 season, in which he netted 38 goals and 84 total points in 54 games. He led the league in goals that year, and his +26 plus/minus also topped all other players.
Following a great stint in Austria, Derek Ryan went to a different league, and a good one at that, the Swedish Hockey League, the highest level of hockey in Sweden, and he didn’t disappoint.
In 55 games, he scored 15 goals and had 45 assists in 55 games. He was named the SHL Forward of the Year, he led the league in both assists and points, and he was named the league’s MVP.
His one year in the SHL threw him on the map for North American hockey. His excellent offensive production overseas made him a cheap, low-risk high-reward option for an NHL team, and the Carolina Hurricanes were that NHL team.
It makes a lot of sense to bring in a guy like Derek Ryan. There are plenty of open spots not only in the bottom-six, but potentially in the top-six as well, and Ryan’s fantastic playmaking ability could make him a viable option in both roles.
There is one kicker, however, and it is his size. He is listed at 5’10”, 170 pounds. Ron Francis has made it clear that he prefers big players, but in a situation like this, it is foolish to stick so strictly to that principle.
Carolina Hurricanes
Ryan is also a right-handed shot, which is something that the current forward core lacks in Carolina, so he adds versatility in that area. He resembles a player that has become quite a recognizable name in Tamp Bay, and that player is Tyler Johnson.
Tyler Johnson and Derek Ryan both hail from Spokane, Washington and played their minor league hockey with the Spokane Chiefs, they both went undrafted, and they are both underized forwards. Johnson stands at 5’9″, 183 pounds.
The two forwards are both incredibly talented offensive players, and the Carolina Hurricanes hope that Derek Ryan can be their very own Tyler Johnson.
Johnson, 25, has turned into a star following a 72-point season last year. He led all NHL players in postseason points in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs with 23.
Derek Ryan will attend Carolina Hurricanes training camp in September, and he will get a long look from the coaching staff. He has the skill and the talent to be an NHL regular, but will his style of play translate to the rough, physical ways of North America?
For the Canes’ sake, let’s hope so. If Ryan can emerge as a legitimate NHL player this season, it will create more depth and give them more scoring options in the middle of the lineup.
The Derek Ryan signing was a quiet one from Carolina this offseason, but he has impressive accolades and a shot at cracking the NHL in October and beyond.
If he doesn’t make the Hurricanes, he will be sent back to the AHL and will make his professional hockey debut with the Charlotte Checkers in a role that will likely set him up to succeed.
If things pan out with this overseas super star, Derek Ryan could be the biggest x-factor for the Carolina Hurricanes this season due to his great playmaking ability, speed, vision, and high compete level.
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