Anaheim Ducks forward Bobby Ryan does not like the fact that his name keeps popping up in trade rumors. In fact, if it were up to him, he’d prefer that the team just trade him and get it over with.
“I gotta be honest with you. At this point, I don’t care,” Ryan recently told the New Jersey-based Courier-Post. “Move me … because it’s just tough going to the rink every day knowing that if something goes wrong, you’re going to be the guy moved.”
Rumors began swirling late last week that Ryan was again on the trading block and that Anaheim would field offers for him at the draft. While nothing materialized, Ryan had no issue voicing his opinion on the matter.
“I take things personally,” Ryan said. “Anaheim to me has been a team over the past year that really has shown me nothing to prove that they want me here, unfortunately.”
Ryan was initially the subject of trade rumors early last season when the Ducks were struggling. Anaheim GM Bob Murray basically stated that no player was untouchable, although it was Ryan who received the bulk of the attention.
“Obviously, it’s not the ideal situation. When you get drafted, you want to win championships with that team and every time they look to add a piece to the puzzle, I’m the piece going the other way.”
Murray sounded off on Ryan’s comments, but didn’t elaborate other than to express the organization’s disappointment in their star players comments.
“I’d just like to say I’m disappointed at this time by these comments,” he said. “I intend to talk to Bobby personally when we get back from the draft and clear the air a little bit. And that’s all I have to say at this present time.”
Meeting with Ryan may be too little too late, however, as Ryan may have already tipped the team’s hand in forcing a trade without directly asking for one. But Ryan did Anaheim a favor and at least offered up a possible trade destination for himself.
“For me, if I’m moved, Philadelphia would be a very ideal and comfortable place for me.”
The Flyers have reportedly coveted Ryan for a long time and tried to swing a trade at the draft for him by including James van Riemsdyk, but the Ducks wanted center Brayden Schenn instead. The Flyers moved van Riemsdyk to the Maple Leafs yesterday in exchange for defenseman Luke Schenn. This could make one of Philadelphia’s other defenseman expandable to include in a future offer to Anaheim for Ryan to help fill the void left by Anaheim’s trade of Lubomir Visnovsky to the Islanders.
Ryan, who had 57 points in 82 games with the Ducks last season, has scored 30 or more goals in each of his four NHL seasons. His career high in points came in 2010-11 when he tallied 34 goals and added another 37 assists for 71 points.
A trade could come as soon as this week before free agency begins on July 1, although some teams may choose to wait and see where top-end forwards like Zach Parise and Alexander Semin end up before choosing to pull the trigger on a trade for Ryan. Regardless, expect Ryan to be wearing a different uniform come September when training camp begins.
