Between May 16th and June 4th, LeafsHQ has decided to pick a Leafs prospect for every day, and write up a report on them. Check in every day for the latest prospect!
The 5 W’s
Who is he?
Kenny Ryan is the first winger to be picked in the Brian Burke era, and one who fits the mold that Burke is known for. Ryan is an 18 year old Right Winger from Franklin, Michigan. A right handed shot, the 6’0, 209lb Ryan may not tower over the average player, but he definitely doesn’t let that stop him from using his body to his advantage. Though he has nopro experience just yet, Ryan is playing in the Memorial Cup as we speak with the Windsor Spitfires.
What did his stats look like this year?
Ryan had a respectable year for a first time junior player, getting 35 points in 52 games on an absolutely stacked Spitfires roster (with players like Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, Greg Nemisz, Eric Wellwood, Dale Mitchell, and others in the way of his pursuit of more minutes). 14 of those 35 points were goals, with the other 21 obviously being assists. He added 33 penalty minutes to that total. He has 2 goals in this years Memorial Cup.
When/how did the Leafs acquire him?
Ryan was selected 50th overall in the second round of the 2009 Entry Draft, the first of the Burke era. He was picked with our first second round pick, Jesse Blacker being selected 8 spots later, and Nazem Kadri being picked 43 spots previous.
Where has he played?
Prior to playing for the Spitfires last year, Ryan was a member of the revered United States National Under-18 Team, playing 3 years with them, each year inching closer to a point per game pace. He had 27 goals and 22 assists in 62 games in his draft year. He actually started this season with Boston College, but decided at the last second that Junior Hockey suited him better and moved on to the Spits.
Why was he acquired?
Ryan embodies many of the characters that GM Brian Burke is widely considered to look for in a player, being a scorer that uses his size and doesn’t shy away from physical play.
What’s been Said…
HockeysFuture.com
Ryan is a goal scorer, and works hard to get pucks as well. Projects as a second or third-line forward.
NHL Central Scouting’s Gary Eggleston
Ryan is a solid skater who is strong on his skates, has good balance and his hard to knock off his feet. Has good overall speed and works hard in all zones. He is strong in the corners, is aware of defensive responsibilities and backchecks well. Ryan plays a rugged two-way game.
NHL.com
His childhood hockey idol was Darren McCarty because “he played with so much energy and grit” and his most memorable hockey moment was playing against Russia, in Russia, at the Four Nations tournament with the Under-17 U.S. team.
In The System
Whats his role expected to be next year?
Ryan will most likely be playing another year with the Spitfires, or somewhere in the OHL for sure. He’s too young (North American Age Rule) for the AHL and isn’t NHL-ready justs yet.
Has he exceeded or failed to reach the expectations had of him since being acquired?
He’s met them, but there hasn’t really been much of a time to gauge his development that much anyway. He’s only 18, and has only been in the system a year, so to expect anything out of him right away is a bit much.
Where is he ranked in the Leafs depth chart for his position?
Hockeysfuture.com has him 3th (4th, but they have Hanson as a prospect still, so we’ll assume third), behind Jimmy Hayes, and Dale Mitchell. His ranking is a 6.5C, meaning he could be a decent forward, but nothing to write home about.
The Big Question
What does the future hold for him? Does he have a shot at being a contributing full time Leaf?
Absolutely! Whether he’s a top 6 forward or not remains to be seen, but his style of play screams ability to be at least a decent 3rd or 4th liner. I could see him being a Leaf for sure in 3-4 years, if not sooner. Just not next year.
Anything Else?
Random Facts
NHL.com asked him about various things before last year’s draft. Here they are.
NHL Team: Calgary Flames
NHL Player: Jarome Iginla
Shootout move: “Top glove or backhand”
Goal celebration: “Glass jump or arm sweep”
Video game: NHL ‘09
Movie: Never Back Down
TV Show: Home Improvement
Actor: Will Smith
Group: Dave Matthews
Website: Youtube.com
Book: The last lecture
Home cooked meal: Pasta
Sport (other than hockey): Swimming
Activity away from the rink: Basketball
Place to shop: Finish line
Place to visit: Florida
See Them In Action
Alright, this isn’t actually “in action”, but here’s friend of LeafsHQ SteveDangle interviewing him a few weeks ago
1 Comment
nice bonuses gonna try them