Bobby Ryan has Philadelphia Flyers high on free agency list

After his contract was bought out by the Senators, Bobby Ryan spoke highly of coming to the Flyers if the opportunity presented itself.

Bobby Ryan‘s story is well documented. He checked himself into the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program back in November. He returned to the Senators in late February, scoring a hat trick in his return. The latest Masterton Trophy winner battled many things throughout his life and has come out on the other side. And now a free agent, he would welcome a chance to play for the Flyers.

Ryan has been linked to the Flyers before, unsurprisingly due to being a native of Cherry Hill. The city is not too far from where the team practices in Voorhees. And it is just a quick ride over the bridge into Philadelphia. Playing for the Flyers would be sort of a dream for Ryan. But would the team be interested in bringing him in?

They still have a few free agents of their own to deal with. And they have a lot of depth when it comes to the forward positions. And while Ryan certainly won’t see anywhere close to the $7.25M he previously signed for, what is his worth at this point in time?

His numbers aren’t bad as he can still produce when put into the right situation. He posted 15 goals and 42 points a season ago. So he could be a good third-line option, or even make an appearance on the second line if need be. But the Flyers would need to be careful nonetheless. While they could make some space, they need to keep an eye on what they spend.

Teams can go about 10% over the upper-limit during the offseason but must become cap compliant once the season begins. So they can feel things out while still making other moves.

"“I don’t know if that’s something they look at and want to do, I’ll let them decide and then I’ll make my decision after that. It would be very, very high on my list and hard to top, getting to spend some time with my dad at home and things like that. There are a lot of elements to making that very attracting, but for me first I have to see if they’re in play for me.”"

It is a move that doesn’t come with too much risk if they were to keep the contract on the lower end. It will also depend on what the Flyers plan to do in free agency. Their restricted free agents will come first as they have just two left to sign. And then talks with their unrestricted ones will come to the forefront.

After that, will they have the room to make other moves? They have been rumored to be in play for Patrik Laine but may be unwilling to pay the price the Jets might want in return. And his upcoming contract is expected to be massive. The Flyers could be better off checking in with someone like Ryan and seeing what he might be after.

That could also depend on what they do with players like Tyler Pitlick and Derek Grant. Both spent time in the bottom-six this season and brought different things to the lineup. But Grant faltered in the playoffs and could demand too much after a career season. Pitlick is more likely to come back and shouldn’t cost as much.

But with other young players looking to make their mark in the lineup, does it actually make sense to bring Ryan in? If he isn’t signed come training camp, a professional tryout could become an option. The Flyers did that with Chris Stewart and ended up signing him afterward.

It would give them a chance to see what Ryan is able to do against the other players that are vying for playing time as well. Fletcher is familiar with the forward as he was there when Ryan was drafted in Anaheim. But it didn’t sound as if he had the same interest in bringing him into Philadelphia.

It could be a low-risk move for whichever teams send him an offer. But it may not end up being the Flyers.