Bobby Ryan: more valuable at wing

Anaheim Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle believes the key to his team succeeding this season will be spreading out the offense. Last season the team failed to make the playoffs despite good production from both their first and second lines, leading him to think that the third line could use a boost offensively.

His solution: playing Bobby Ryan at third line center with Teemu Selanne, and for the time being, rookie Maxime Macenauer.

For the majority of his tenure with the Ducks, Ryan has played with Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf– reaping the benefits of flanking two highly skilled players. Without them, Ryan still has a leg to stand on as a skilled player himself and former second overall pick, but his value greatly diminishes. If he is to stay at the pivot the entire season, his value would slip even further as he would not longer qualify as a left wing next year.

Ryan owners should beware of these problems, but on the bright side, he could be playing the point on the powerplay opposite Lubomir Visnovsky if these crazy changes stay the same.