Ottawa Senators: Bobby Ryan 2017-2018 Season Preview

The fans of the Ottawa Senators have a history of making a scapegoat of certain players. It’s rare that the team will not have players under scrutiny. Sometimes it’s warranted, other times less deserved. At his time perhaps no player has been under for scrutiny than winger Bobby Ryan.

Bobby Ryan is a player that came the Ottawa Senators at a time of transition for the team. He was acquired in a trade from the Anaheim Ducks on the same day that Daniel Alfredsson left the Sens to sign with the Detroit Red Wings. As a result the Ryan trade is a definitive divider in Sens history. Brought in to be the next star for the team, Ryan has struggled to find the success he once had in California.

History

Before coming to the Ottawa Senators, Ryan was a four time 30 goal scorer with the Ducks. However since coming to the Sens he’s yet to break that barrier. In fact, he’s only broken 20 goals twice in four seasons. Since coming the Sens he has been a player who could only counted on to contribute 50 points. However, this past season he took an ever greater dip. Injuries and personal issues led to him scoring just 25 points in 62 games.

It seemed as if Ryan could be nearing the end of his career. However, in the playoffs he had an incredible resurgence. Ryan put up 15 points in just 19 games and was the Sens best forward in April and May. He played the hero on many occasions, including the overtime winner in game one of the third round versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Next: Ottawa Senators: Clarke MacArthur 2017-2018 Season Preview

Next Season

Going into next season, Ryan is a huge question mark for the Ottawa Senators. Ryan was a player who took longer than most to adapt to the system of Guy Boucher. However, once he was accustomed, he thrived. When October comes around Sens fans will have to see which Bobby Ryan comes to play. Will it be the player who fell flat in the regular season? Or will it be the player that reached his potential in the playoffs? With the season just a month and a half away, we’ll soon find out.