Bobby Ryan will not be moving before Monday’s 3 p.m. ET NHL trade deadline. Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said the forward is expected to be out for the remainder of the season with an upper-body injury that may require surgery.
The 34-year-old forward, who is an unrestricted free agent this off-season, signed a one-year deal with Detroit in October after being bought out by the Senators. After scoring four goals in his first three games, Ryan cooled off, scoring only twice more and finishing with 14 points in 33 games.
Bobby Ryan, who has not played since March 28, had been skating with the team.
“He was making progress, I think he thought it was going in the right direction,” Blashill said. “Originally, we thought it was a minor thing, and as it’s gone, again, as you try to work your way back, sometimes you have setbacks. He had a setback and because of that, he’s just not going to be able to do it.”
Avalanche cancel morning skate
The Avalanche received a positive COVID-19 test Friday morning, which resulted in them canceling their morning skate. According to he team, the person who tested positive is in isolation and all other players and staff have tested negative.
Colorado has not had a player on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols list since Dennis Gilbert on March 7.
Gusev’s time in Jersey is over
By Saturday afternoon, Nikita Gusev will be an unrestricted free agent. The Devils forward was placed on unconditional waivers with the purpose of terminating his contract.
The 28-year-old Gusev was acquired by New Jersey in a trade with the Golden Knights in July 2019. Following the deal, the Russian winger signed a two-year, $9M deal.
Gusev has regressed this season after a successful first year in the NHL in 2020-21. Last season he scored 13 times and recorded 44 points in 66 games. This season he has two goals and five points in 20 games and his time on ice has decreased by over a minute compared to 2019-20. He has not played since March 20.
Last Thursday, Gusev was placed on waivers and cleared. Between the lack of interest around the league and the Devils’ focus now on playing the kids, this was the only option remaining. Once he clears he’ll be free to sign with any team and will be playoff eligible if a new contract is signed before Monday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline.
Per CapFriendly, once he clears, Gusev will forfeit $1M in salary and the Devils will have open up $856,250 in cap space.
Other NHL waivers notes
• Regular waivers Friday included Paul Byron of the Canadiens, Kyle Turris of the Oilers, and Clark Bishop of the Senators. The 31-year-old Turris, who signed a two-year, $3.3M deal with Edmonton in October, has two goals and five points in 25 games this season.
• Drake Caggiula will reunite with Don Granato in Buffalo as the Sabres claimed the forward off waivers from the Coyotes. Caggiula and Granato were together with the Blackhawks during the 2018-19 NHL season.
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.