Among Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman’s tasks this offseason is deciding whether to re-sign Sam Gagner and Bobby Ryan.
Both are veteran forwards and former high draft picks who have tried to reboot their careers as complementary pieces in the Wings' rebuild. Both have been brought in by Yzerman. Both can be had for similar no-risk contracts.
Yzerman signed Ryan, 34, last October, hoping he could add a smidgen of the offense Ryan showed in his heyday as a regular 30-goal scorer. Gagner was acquired at the 2020 trade deadline from Edmonton as part of the Andreas Athanasiou deal and re-signed last offseason.