The mostly unheralded signing of Derek Ryan came and went with little early summer fanfare. A closer look tells an interesting story rife with possibility. Does he crack a Hurricanes roster that admittedly has some serious holes or is he merely a solid, much needed veteran presence in an evolving Charlotte Checkers organization?
Earlier this Summer the Carolina Hurricanes signed the 5'10", 170 pound Derek Ryan and the chorus of "who", "why", and "so what" rang out across Caniac nation. Shortly thereafter the interesting tidbits on Derek's career started to trickle out. He is the reigning scoring leader in the highest division of Swedish hockey, the SHL.