Is Bobby Ryan going to stick with the big club??

There is no denying that the kid has hands and talent, but when I saw him play in England he looked like Bambi on ice. One little push or shove and he was just about to fall over. He looks like one of the weakest guys on his skates in the NHL. Will this be a problem for him for a while? Will he be able to stick on the big club? they are having problems with offense right now so maybe he helps enough to stick. Anyways I just wanted everyones opinion.

It's up to him.

If he continues to play the way he has the last two games he will stay in the NHL.

He looks a lot stronger on his skates this time around. More speed and more confidence as well.

I think he'll stick around for quite a while. There is a big chance that he could stick with the club for the rest of the season.

Perry was worse on his skates when he first came up. Even if he still fell over all of the time like he did last year it didn't seem to be too much of a problem. Ryan's skating is getting better though.

Do the Ducks have some really good skating trainer or something? It seems strange that Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan's biggest knocks were their skating and they've all improved so quickly. Ryan Getzlaf has actually turned into an excellent skater, maybe not in terms of pure speed, but he's dancing in and out of traffic, dangling through the oppositions legs and is one of the hardest players to knock off the puck in the NHL.

Perry was worse on his skates when he first came up. Even if he still fell over all of the time like he did last year it didn't seem to be too much of a problem. Ryan's skating is getting better though.

Do the Ducks have some really good skating trainer or something? It seems strange that Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan's biggest knocks were their skating and they've all improved so quickly. Ryan Getzlaf has actually turned into an excellent skater, maybe not in terms of pure speed, but he's dancing in and out of traffic, dangling through the oppositions legs and is one of the hardest players to knock off the puck in the NHL.

Joe DiPenta? :sarcasm:

Do the Ducks have some really good skating trainer or something? It seems strange that Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan's biggest knocks were their skating and they've all improved so quickly. Ryan Getzlaf has actually turned into an excellent skater, maybe not in terms of pure speed, but he's dancing in and out of traffic, dangling through the oppositions legs and is one of the hardest players to knock off the puck in the NHL.

They have the best strength and conditioning coach in the biz with Sean Skahan. The dude works wonders and it's no coincendence that our propects with skating concerns have all improved exponetionally.

I think the only thing that could cost Ryan's spot on the top line is Teamu coming back.

Other than if he does terrible, they'll most likely move someone around deadline time to get a top forward, but if asking prices are as astronomical as last year, expect burke to stick with Ryan.

Perry was worse on his skates when he first came up. Even if he still fell over all of the time like he did last year it didn't seem to be too much of a problem. Ryan's skating is getting better though.

Do the Ducks have some really good skating trainer or something? It seems strange that Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan's biggest knocks were their skating and they've all improved so quickly. Ryan Getzlaf has actually turned into an excellent skater, maybe not in terms of pure speed, but he's dancing in and out of traffic, dangling through the oppositions legs and is one of the hardest players to knock off the puck in the NHL.

The knock on Lupul was also his skating. Like someone said, Sean Skahan might be the best strength and conditioning coach in the league, and the Ducks clearly keep this in mind when drafting. It's actually a very smart drafting plan. Rather than draft someone who is more well rounded right from the get go, they'd rather draft a larger and/or more talented player who doesn't have good skating, as they know this is a non issue. And so far it has worked wonders obviously. Perry is on pace for a monster season, yet if you went back far enough, some people didn't think he'd ever play in the league that much because of his skating. Bobby Ryan quickly also became a very underrated prospect because of his skating. It's funny considering both cracked the league just two years after they were drafted despite issues some thought could keep them in the minors for a long time. That's just how good Skahan is.

The knock on Lupul was also his skating. Like someone said, Sean Skahan might be the best strength and conditioning coach in the league, and the Ducks clearly keep this in mind when drafting. It's actually a very smart drafting plan. Rather than draft someone who is more well rounded right from the get go, they'd rather draft a larger and/or more talented player who doesn't have good skating, as they know this is a non issue. And so far it has worked wonders obviously. Perry is on pace for a monster season, yet if you went back far enough, some people didn't think he'd ever play in the league that much because of his skating. Bobby Ryan quickly also became a very underrated prospect because of his skating. It's funny considering both cracked the league just two years after they were drafted despite issues some thought could keep them in the minors for a long time. That's just how good Skahan is.
Of course the converse question is "What would happen if the Ducks drafted a kid who's already a good skater and Skahan gets to work on him?"

Mikkelson, Platt, Ebbett, and maybe Dingle might help us answer that question. Although they may not have enough other talent to really see.

Joe DiPenta? :sarcasm:

I love how DiPenta skates! It looks like he's running on ice!

They have the best strength and conditioning coach in the biz with Sean Skahan. The dude works wonders and it's no coincendence that our propects with skating concerns have all improved exponetionally.

He must be. Most of their injuries are just freak injuries too, broken bones, etc. The team has definitely been in good shape. I remember everybody calling Beachemin fat and slow when we got him, but now he's one of the best defensemen in the league and often and often posts 30 minutes of ice time.

Of course the converse question is "What would happen if the Ducks drafted a kid who's already a good skater and Skahan gets to work on him?"

Mikkelson, Platt, Ebbett, and maybe Dingle might help us answer that question. Although they may not have enough other talent to really see.

I think we'll get some answers to this question with Mikkelson, but I'm not sure it'll play a huge part. Guys like Andy Mac and the Niedermayers and Marchant were already great skaters coming here, and I don't think they became better skaters or anything. Shannon is another example, as he was a great skater, but didn't have much talent elsewhere. I think it will certainly help the prospects, but at the same time won't turn the kid from potential bust to NHL superstar like it did with Perry. That's why I think they avoid taking speedsters, as they can't teach a player to score or to dangle well enough, but they can teach them to skate. This will benefit the organization for years IMO as during the drafts players who have higher skillsets but flawed skating will likely continue to fall and the Ducks will snatch them up, knowing that it isn't an issue. I'm not sure if they'll get another Ryan Getzlaf or Corey Perry like that, but I could see them drafting many potential top 6 forwards or top 4 dmen with skating issues and helping them maximize their potential.

I'm probably in the minority but I don't think Bobby Ryan has looked particularly well, he's looked better, but not well. He appears nervous or confused and he should have had a 2nd goal vs SJ on that 2-0 with Bertuzzi and another last night. For all that skill I've heard about, I really haven't seen it. Aside from the 1st goal vs SJ on the Weight pass, the other goal was flukey and he should have had 2 others. At least he had a few good hits last night but made up for that with just dreadful decision making.

I am beginning to really like Ryan when he is forechecking. He seems to have a knack for picking peoples pockets as they try and leave their end zone.

He has a lot to learn still, but I think he will learn more playing with veteran NHL players then he will in the AHL. If he keeps hustling and playing hard I think he will be up with the Ducks for the rest of the season.

thanx for the input guys. I picked him up in my fantasy league as a rookie and was thinking about bringing him up to my big club. I really think he has a bright future, and as a Sharks fan I am not going to be happy to see him several times a year! :cry: I haven't seen him since this 2nd call up but his skating was absolutely horriffic in England. So if it is much better like everyone says....look out everyone else in the NHL. Good luck with the rest of the season....well except against the Sharks!!!:p:

I'm probably in the minority but I don't think Bobby Ryan has looked particularly well, he's looked better, but not well. He appears nervous or confused and he should have had a 2nd goal vs SJ on that 2-0 with Bertuzzi and another last night. For all that skill I've heard about, I really haven't seen it. Aside from the 1st goal vs SJ on the Weight pass, the other goal was flukey and he should have had 2 others. At least he had a few good hits last night but made up for that with just dreadful decision making.
No I'm with you. Ryan still hasn't looked that good. He still makes a lot of mistakes and poor decisions. But he has shown a few decent hits and a couple good forechecking shifts, and he's producing. His positioning on the forecheck is quite good in terms of getting to open spaces and anticipating where other players might dump it off. I did see one shift last night where I was focusing on him and his defensive positioning was actually pretty good. But he's still weak on the puck sometimes in his own zone, and can't skate or chip it out. And he hasn't demonstrated a whole lot of puck skill, although there's been a couple of flashes of in both stints.

But really the big difference I see is he's trying more now. And I wouldn't be surprised in the least if he gets sent back down by year's end. Mainly for polishing on defensive work and decision making.

I'm probably in the minority but I don't think Bobby Ryan has looked particularly well, he's looked better, but not well. He appears nervous or confused and he should have had a 2nd goal vs SJ on that 2-0 with Bertuzzi and another last night. For all that skill I've heard about, I really haven't seen it. Aside from the 1st goal vs SJ on the Weight pass, the other goal was flukey and he should have had 2 others. At least he had a few good hits last night but made up for that with just dreadful decision making.
Maybe you're just hard to please. :sarcasm:

He hasn't been perfect, but I wouldn't call anything he's done on offense dreadful. A couple bad turnovers, but those just seem like rookie type mistakes and not really flaws in his game. He seems to know where to pass most of the time. He just needs to be more consistent in always making good decisions, sometimes it seems like he lets his brain just take a shift off. I think he has some trouble keeping his concentration and playing 100% at the NHL level for a whole game, but I think he's making improvements each game. I actually like his willingness to be patient and make the extra pass. It may not have worked yet, but to me the ideas have been good, and you can't teach creativity, you can tell a player to just shoot mindlessly more often and they can do that, so I don't think passiveness will be a problem. We all know he has a good shot, I don't think any of his goals have been flukes. If anything the one that he did miss against Nabokov was a fluke. He just needed to lift the puck a few inches, he gets plenty of height on his shots, it was just a fluke/lucky save.

Maybe you're just hard to please. :sarcasm:

He hasn't been perfect, but I wouldn't call anything he's done on offense dreadful. He just needs to be more consistant. I think he has some trouble keeping his concentration and playing 100% at the NHL level for a whole game. I actually like his willingness to be patient and make the extra pass. It may not have worked, but to me the ideas have been good, and you can't teach creativity, you can tell a player to just shoot mindlessly more often, passiveness won't be his problem. We all know he has a good shot, I don't think any of his goals have been flukes. If anything the one that he did miss against Nabokov was a fluke. He just needed to lift the puck a few inches, he gets plenty of height on his shots, it was just a fluke/lucky save.

If I recall, the 2nd one he scored against the Sharks was just a puck he sorta pushed and luckily Nabakov opened the 5 hole and it slid through. The 2-0 he flubbed both when he went to make the initial pass to Bert and then he basically has the entire net to shoot at but flubbes it low the only place Nabokov could block it. The fan on the open shot last night in the slot is leading me to believe this is becoming a trend but I certainly hope not.

If I recall, the 2nd one he scored against the Sharks was just a puck he sorta pushed and luckily Nabakov opened the 5 hole and it slid through. The 2-0 he flubbed both when he went to make the initial pass to Bert and then he basically has the entire net to shoot at but flubbes it low the only place Nabokov could block it. The fan on the open shot last night in the slot is leading me to believe this is becoming a trend but I certainly hope not.
Last night Perry screwed up similar opportunities, should he be sent down also? I think you are being a little hard on the guy. Sure he is not polished, but he is not playing bad either.

I'm hoping the subtle miscues are just jitters and they'll go away as he becomes more confident. What I'm seeing is Ryan doing all the hard work in the offensive zone and when the payoff comes where all he has to do is push a button, he just panics a little. We all know the feeling. At least thats why I've been impressed. He's got the size and the hands. The skating seems to be coming along and it seems like he has some good hockey sense. I think he will make strides like Perry and become a very nice player. Hopefully.

I think you are being a little hard on the guy.

Of course I am, he was the #2 overall pick in the draft. Fair or not, that's what happens. I'm trying to look for bright spots, but this constant coughing at key moments is really making me nervous. It's very early still however.

We had no chance at Crosby, a dozen other teams passed up Kopitar as well, has anybody else been wildly successful from that draft? Right now I'm glad we took Ryan over Johnson.

He looks a lot stronger on his skates this time around. More speed and more confidence as well.

I think he'll stick around for quite a while. There is a big chance that he could stick with the club for the rest of the season.

Is it true that if he plays 10 games with the Ducks, he can't be sent down?

Wait, was his 2nd goal against the Sharks 5-hole? I thought he went over Nobokov. I could be wrong though.

I'm probably in the minority but I don't think Bobby Ryan has looked particularly well, he's looked better, but not well. He appears nervous or confused and he should have had a 2nd goal vs SJ on that 2-0 with Bertuzzi and another last night. For all that skill I've heard about, I really haven't seen it. Aside from the 1st goal vs SJ on the Weight pass, the other goal was flukey and he should have had 2 others. At least he had a few good hits last night but made up for that with just dreadful decision making.

My God, he has just been recalled and has played 3 games since his return. He has had little or no time to practice with new linemates and has scored 2 goals in those games. He has played a total of 5 or 6 games and has 3 goals and I believe 1 or 2 assists.

I guess with tyour logic Perry also doesn't look that well as he should have scored 3 or 4 more goals the last two games. The same also holds true for Getz, since he hasn't scored the last few games.

Its hard to predict for sure.

This club had huge changeovers last Sunday and has had a series of three strong games. Ryan had looked 'at home' during those efforts, as if he fits on this squad.

I don't think Ryan will be sent down, unless A- he has a series of bad games or B- the ducks lack of forwards scoring causes Burke to pull in someone and Ryan gets replaced.

Either way, I think both options put the Duck's season into a flaming spiral of death, so I don't care about Ryan at that point. I hope the Ducks continue to play well, get wins, and keep Ryan up. I have a feeling that Ryan being sent down will merely be a symptom of the Ducks going more downhill...

I guess with tyour logic Perry also doesn't look that well as he should have scored 3 or 4 more goals the last two games. The same also holds true for Getz, since he hasn't scored the last few games.

They make much better decisions with the puck.

My God, he has just been recalled and has played 3 games since his return. He has had little or no time to practice with new linemates and has scored 2 goals in those games. He has played a total of 5 or 6 games and has 3 goals and I believe 1 or 2 assists.

I guess with tyour logic Perry also doesn't look that well as he should have scored 3 or 4 more goals the last two games. The same also holds true for Getz, since he hasn't scored the last few games.

The way he's playing he will probably be our fourth or fifth highest goal scorer with only a partial season of play. The teams forwards seriously lack skill and the addition of Ryan was the key to giving us a second line.

Too bad he wasn't recalled before we had to trade Mac.

The team has enough grinders, it's nice to have some skill on the squad.