Among Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman’s tasks this offseason is deciding whether to re-sign Sam Gagner and Bobby Ryan.
Both are veteran forwards and former high draft picks who have tried to reboot their careers as complementary pieces in the Wings’ rebuild. Both have been brought in by Yzerman. Both can be had for similar no-risk contracts.
Yzerman signed Ryan, 34, last October, hoping he could add a smidgen of the offense Ryan showed in his heyday as a regular 30-goal scorer. Gagner was acquired at the 2020 trade deadline from Edmonton as part of the Andreas Athanasiou deal and re-signed last offseason.
Ryan (6-feet-2, 208 pounds) looked like he’d be part of a potent second line next to Robby Fabbri and Filip Zadina, but that line lasted less than a week because Fabbri and Zadina tested positive for COVID-19 a few days after the season began. Ryan, though, looked good at the start, scoring four goals in his first three games.
But the points stopped coming, even though Ryan did a good job getting into scoring positions. He finished with seven goals, seven assists and a minus-14 rating in 33 games, and averaged 15:19 or ice time per game, of which 2:47 came during man advantages. A torn triceps muscle in his right arm prevented Ryan from playing after March 28, and required surgery.
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Gagner (5-11, 200) recorded seven goals, eight assists and a minus-4 rating in 42 games. He was among the five players who spent two weeks in quarantine because of COVID-19 in January. At varying points, Gagner was used on each line; he averaged 15:26 of ice time per game, 2:02 on the power play and 1:13 on the penalty kill.
Contract-wise, each player would be looking at a one-year deal, likely for less than $1 million. Both are quality veterans who set good examples for younger players and relish serving as one-on-one mentors. Both know what it is like to come into the NHL with high expectations, as Ryan was the second overall pick in 2005 and Gagner the sixth overall pick in 2007. Both have the advantage of being right-handed shots.
Both have been vocal about wanting to stay, saying they see a role for themselves in helping the Wings regain competitiveness.
If only one is brought back, the odds favor Gagner. He’s younger, and he can play both special teams. Ryan was limited to 33 games this season and 24 in 2019-20 — he took much of that season off to address a substance abuse issue — and has not played a full season since 2018-19. And while he expects to make a full recovery from surgery, it will impact his ability to train this offseason.
There is, of course, the possibility Yzerman brings both back. Even if rookie Joe Veleno is a full-timer next season, the Wings will need depth. Ryan didn’t have the offensive season that both sides hoped for in October, but put him on a line with someone who can feed him the puck, or finish his passes, and there’s a good chance Ryan will deliver better numbers.
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There’s no reason to sign either player until after the July 21 expansion draft. In all likelihood, Yzerman will bring back Gagner, and Ryan could be added later, depending on what happens in free agency, which is slated to start July 28.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.