Over/Under – Ottawa Senators’ Bobby Ryan Goal Expectations

The addition of Bobby Ryan has created the most stir in Ottawa since the Aug 23, 2005 acquisition of Dany Heatley.  Ryan comes from Anahiem with the pedigree (2nd overall draft pick in 2005), and the track record (4 full NHL seasons, all with 30 or more goals).

Mar 14, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Bobby Ryan (9) scores on the overtime shoot out against Dallas Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen (32) at the American Airlines Center. The Ducks defeated the Stars 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

It is widely assumed Ryan will play alongside Jason Spezza, and with all due respect to Milan Michalek, has the potential to be the best pure goal-scorer on the Senators since Heatley begged his way out of town in 2008.  The big question surrounding Ryan is how much he was the beneficiary of playing alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry during his stint in Anaheim.  They would have, at the very least, created extra space on the ice for Ryan, the best case scenario he shows that he was indeed an equal of the all-star duo and can more than hold his own.

If it is the former, then Jason Spezza may have to carry him, but if it is the latter, Ryan and Spezza should form an intimidating duo that will force other teams to take notice.

So, let’s play a game of over/under and make a prediction on what Ryan might give the Senators this season:

GOALS:  Since becoming a full-time NHLer, Ryan has scored 142 goals in 355 games, or an average of 0.4 goals per game.  Over an 82 game season, that would work out to just under 33 goals.

POWER PLAY GOALS: Ryan has scored 36 power play goals in his career, but after getting double-digits in both 2008-09 and  2009-10, he dropped off substantially and has just 10 in his last 210 games.  No Senator managed more than 3 goals with the man advantage in the shortened season, and Spezza and Michalek led the club with 10 each in the last full season.  Ryan will be counted on to be a big part of the power play unit that finished 20th in the NHL in 2013 (albeit without Spezza and Erik Karlsson for a majority of the season).