[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Yeah he's 34 but with less wear on the tires, due to the unusual nature of his career path. 1-2 year deal I think is exactly right.

This is an excerpt from my FlamesNation piece, including some of what Doc said to me a few weeks ago:

But despite his not-insignificant $3.1 million salary through 2021 and his relatively advanced age, the Flames would do well to keep Derek Ryan in the fold, even past his current contract’s expiry date. He has produced and defended well in every situation with a variety of linemates, from Garnet Hathaway and Andrew Mangiapane to Milan Lucic and Dillon Dube.

And much like teammate Mark Giordano, whose Norris Trophy at age 35 came at the peak of an unusual career path of his own, Ryan’s advanced age comes with a relatively light body of work at the NHL level.

“I know my age seems like I’m old, but I feel like I’m a ‘low mileage’ player at this point,” said Ryan. “I didn’t start playing in the NHL until I was 29, so my body hasn’t gone through the grind for as long as most guys who are my age. I played four years in Canadian university playing 28 games a year. I played four years [of] pro in Europe playing 50 games a year.

“All of these games were far less physical and the travel was much less demanding, so I feel like I haven’t been worn down as much as others my age have,” he added. “I feel like I have many years ahead of me still!”