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Ducks GM Bob Murray may take a different approach to signing RFA Bobby Ryan

Bobby Ryan

Anaheim Ducks right wing Bobby Ryan is greeted by his teammates after scoring against the Chicago Blackhawks in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday, March 17, 2010. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

AP

We didn’t get the closure many were expecting on the big Ilya Kovalchuk contract situation, but another big-time scorer is still on the outs with his team. That would be restricted free agent Bobby Ryan, a player who is still at an impasse with the team who drafted him, the Anaheim Ducks.

Rather than being about sheer dollar amounts, the brick wall is in the term of the contract. The Ducks would prefer a five-year deal that eats up a couple of years of Ryan’s unrestricted free agent opportunities. Ryan wants a three-year deal so he can earn more than what he’d make in the Ducks’ proposition ($5 million per year) as a UFA. The sticking point with that three year term for Anaheim is that they have two other big ticket players in Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry who will also be looking for contracts at the end of that season.

Eric Stephens of the OC Register reports that Ducks GM Bob Murray might attempt a different approach when it comes to signing the talented American power forward.

“We’re attempting to go at that in a different way in the next couple of days,” Murray said. “That has to fall in place.”

Ryan has scored 31 and 35 goals in his first two full NHL seasons. He made $765,000 in base salary last season in the final year of his entry-level deal and earned more than $900,000 in bonuses.

Murray acknowledged that he’ll look at something different in terms of years but was vague when asked specifically if that means making an offer for a shorter term.

“I don’t want to comment on contract negotiations,” he said. “We’re going to try something different and that’s all I’m going to say.”

While we discussed the far-out idea of the Ducks signing Ryan to one of those lifetime contracts before, the two sides might need to come up with a compromise. What if the team offered Ryan less money per year for two seasons or more money per year for four? Both scenarios would still give him a chance to earn big bucks on his next contract while the team could deal with Getzlaf and Perry’s deal in a different summer.

Though Ryan doesn’t have the name recognition or numbers as Kovalchuk just yet, he brings other skills - as well as two 30+ goal campaigns in his two NHL seasons - to the table. His contract status could have a big impact on the cloudy future of the Ducks franchise, so we’ll keep an eye on it for you.