Bobby Ryan is trending in the wrong direction.
With his team jockeying for positioning in the Atlantic Division, the Ottawa Senators forward hasn't exactly had a resounding impact on the club's success, and for that, he's been sent down the lineup.
Ryan's been moved to bottom-six duties alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Tom Pyatt, a decision he's looking at as an opportunity.
"Truthfully, (this line) plays the most minutes so I’m excited for the opportunity," Ryan told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. "The last game was (facing) Tavares, the next game will likely be (Jack) Eichel so I don’t mind those matchups one bit. Call it the third or defensive line or whatever you want but I saw the last game and I was excited for the opportunity."
Embracing his given role is all well and good for Guy Boucher, but Ottawa didn't acquire Ryan to shut down opponents' top lines.
In July 2013, the Senators gave up Jakob Silfverberg, 2011 first-round pick Stefan Noesen, and their 2014 first-rounder to the Anaheim Ducks for Ryan, who had scored 30-or-more goals in four consecutive full seasons.
It was a big move for the Senators, but in the midst of his fourth season with the club, Ryan is experiencing his worst offensive season to date.
In 47 games this season - he missed time with multiple hand ailments - Ryan has mustered just 11 goals and 21 points, putting him on pace for the lowest output - excluding the 2013 half-season - of his career (17 goals, 33 points) if he plays every game from here on out.
Ryan is currently ninth on the team in scoring, and he's hardly creating chances for himself. With just 77 shots on goal so far, the winger is tracking to record 124 by season's end, which would also be the lowest total he's ever produced.
Not great for a player with the a $7.25-million cap hit until after the 2021-22 season.
For comparison's sake, Silfverberg, 26, has 17 goals and 19 assists in 54 games for Anaheim this season, and Nick Ritchie, who Anaheim drafted 10th overall with Ottawa's pick from the Ryan trade, has 11 goals and 18 points as a 21-year-old.
Approaching 30, Ottawa must be hoping Ryan can find his game again. At this point, even just a brief glimpse of his former self will do. But if this season is a sign of things to come, the Senators are facing a big, expensive problem.
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