from Craig Custance of The Athletic,

He recently chatted with Craig Custance for an episode of The Full 60 podcast but Ryan was so insightful, open and honest that we wanted to share it here as well. This is a large portion of that conversation, edited for length and clarity:

I want to start with the buyout. How did you get word it was coming from the Senators?

With the time difference, I got a call about 7 o’clock in the morning, on the first day the buyout window opened. I think it was a Friday morning. I was actually just getting off the bike and getting my day started with my wife and (Senators GM) Pierre (Dorion) called and let me know.

It was about a minute conversation. There’s really not much to say. What do you say, really? I said, “OK, thank you, good luck” and that’s it. It came as a complete shock … It was not the call I expected on that Friday morning for sure.

I was a little surprised Detroit was the destination. There was a belief you’d end up on a contender. Follow the Corey Perry path. Why Detroit?

I knew that I needed to prove there is still some high-end hockey in me. I didn’t want to go somewhere and immediately be a third- or fourth-line guy. I still think I can play in the top six to nine. Steve made it clear I can earn that there. Whereas other teams I talked to, I don’t know if there were a lot of opportunities to move up. Steve was honest and candid about the fact of, “Listen, if you’re having a very good year and you want to leave at the deadline and I have offers, we can sit down and talk about those things, then we’ll do that.” This opportunity gave me the most chances.

And I’m excited to play with those young guys. They have four or five really really good young forwards there that not only are they young, they’ve been in the league. Dylan Larkin is what 25? It feels like he’s been in the league for 10 years. I’m looking forward to maybe having a chance to play with him or whoever it might be in that top six if I work my way in there and prove I can still score and that I have some legs left, some hockey left. Then we’ll re-assess. If something happens at the deadline, great, if not, I’ll stay with Detroit. I’m very happy about the situation there.

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