from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

It took one conversation, one discussion with general manager Steve Yzerman, and Bobby Ryan was sold.

Ryan, an unrestricted free agent, spoke 45 minutes with Yzerman and was coming to the Red Wings.

"The passion that comes through for the Red Wings through him is contagious," said Ryan, who agreed Friday to a one-year, $1 million contract with the Wings. "I walked out of the room and told my wife 'I think we're signing with Detroit.'

"I still had some other meetings and calls, but my heart just wasn't in it. It was a 45-minute call that just left me with the impression this was the right fit without knowing what else was out there."...

Merrill has played in 356 games in his NHL career, with 12 goals and 49 assists.

"It's an honor to play for the Red Wings," Merrill said. "As a kid living in Michigan, I was such a die-hard fan as a kid.

"I told myself that if I ever had the opportunity to play for the Red Wings, if the opportunity ever came up, I would jump at it. To see them calling right away (the Wings were the first team to reach out to Merrill) today, it was an honor and a real easy decision for me."

Merrill (6-foot-3, 195 pounds) played his youth hockey with Little Caesars and then the U.S. National Development Team Program, before playing at Michigan.

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