The Montreal Canadiens Could be a Fresh Start for Bobby Ryan

Bobby Ryan is going to be a free agent after being bought out. Would he be worth the gamble for the Montreal Canadiens?

The Montreal Canadiens have cap space and draft capital to use this offseason, but could a low risk move with potential for high reward make more sense than chasing the top free agents? The Ottawa Senators have placed forward Bobby Ryan on waivers for the purpose of a buyout. Ryan had two more years on his current contract that would pay him $7.5-million per season with a cap hit of $7.25-million. The recipient of the 2020 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, the award given to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” Per TSN’s Pierre Lebrun, the decision to buyout the remainder of Bobby Ryan’s was merely a hockey decision as the Ottawa Senators are looking to open a roster spot for younger players. While they believe it was best for both parties to move forward with this, the organization had nothing but good things to say regarding the 32-year old forward. They also mentioned wanting to give Bobby Ryan a fresh start. This is where the Montreal Canadiens come into the picture.

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During the bulk of their Stanley Cup Qualifiers and Playoffs, scoring was an issue for the Montreal Canadiens. While Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nick Suzuki and Jonathan Drouin who led the team in points played strong games, the remainder of the top-six wingers had a tougher time. As Brendan Gallagher played injured since the team’s Qualifiers against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was noticeably slower, eventually missing Game 6 upon taking a hit from Matt Niskanen, breaking Gallagher’s jaw in the process. Tomas Tatar did not fare much better. Scoring only two goals in 10 games played, Tatar was not able to translate his career-high regular season into a strong postseason. It became evident throughout the series and the subsequent elimination that the Montreal Canadiens would require scoring help going into next season. The trade market is an option but in order to get, you have to give. It was reported on Thursday that the Canadiens would not get involved in the Patrik Laine sweepstakes, likely due to the cost being too high. There are still rumours that Nikolaj Ehlers is available. He would not cost as much as Laine, making him a viable option. However, those are just rumours. Free Agency is always an option with Taylor Hall being available but the Canadiens are not often able to convince high-calibre players to sign with the team and the contract Hall will demand would likely be out of the team’s comfort zone. There is also the possibility that Ilya Kovalchuk returns to the Montreal Canadiens but after an underwhelming performance in Washington, it seems unlikely. However, now that Bobby Ryan will be without a contract, the Montreal Canadiens may set their sights on making a deal. Bobby Ryan gained the support of Senators fans and hockey fans alike when he departed the Ottawa Senators in November 2019 to seek help for alcoholism. He recovered, and returned to their lineup three months later, scoring a hat trick in his first home game back.

Although unlikely, if Bobby Ryan manages to go the offseason without a contract offer, the Montreal Canadiens can opt to sign with him to a tryout to earn a deal. Regardless, either signing him out of free agency or trying him out can be a low-risk, high-reward move, akin to the Ilya Kovalchuk signing in January.