Ryan Szporer
After 10 years of writing hockey, Ryan decided it was as good a time as any to actually join The Hockey Writers for the 2014-15 season. Having appeared as a guest on such programs as CBC Radio One's Daybreak, Ryan has written for such publications as the Montreal Gazette and Bleacher Report and worked for the NHL itself and his hometown Montreal Canadiens. He currently fills an at-large position at THW, covering the NHL and hockey in general.
Author's Posts
The Forgotten Florida Panther: Brett Connolly
December 1st, 2019 It turns out Florida Panthers forward Brett Connolly’s breakout season wasn’t a fluke. One season after hitting 20 goals for the first time and scoring a career-high 46 points with the Washington Capitals, the 27-year-old is on pace to shatter both marks with his new team. Having just signed a four-year deal, the journeyman Connolly...
Golden Knights Getting the Pacioretty They Banked On
November 29th, 2019 It took a season, but the Vegas Golden Knights are finally reaping the rewards of the rich contract to which they signed forward Max Pacioretty. Pacioretty Falls on Hard Times True, Pacioretty did score 22 goals last season, which normally wouldn’t be much at which to scoff. However, it’s plainly obvious the Golden Knights...
Capitals Can't Overdo Backstrom's Next Contract
November 26th, 2019 It’s almost comical to suggest, but the Washington Capitals cannot allow themselves to get sentimental in contract negotiations with star forward Nicklas Backstrom. In other words, overpaying for his services is a bad idea, even if the organizational inclination may be to reward Backstrom for his contributions to the team up to this...
Hurricanes Must Brace for Impact with Mrazek in Net
November 23rd, 2019 Just a few years ago, Petr Mrazek was the answer to the Detroit Red Wings’ long-term problems in net. Fast-forward to the present and he’s regressed. He’s not even a question mark at this stage. Oh, to be clear, the Carolina Hurricanes should know by now what they have in Mrazek. As far as any dreams of legitimately contending go,...
The Time for Senators to Trade Pageau Is Now
November 20th, 2019 Contrary to popular belief, the Ottawa Senators do have a lot of trade chips to help turn around the downtrodden franchise. Chief among those trade chips is Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Pageau Leads the Charge The Sens' leading scorer, Pageau has vaulted to the top of the trade-chip list following a stretch during which he scored eight...
Top 5 Alternatives to Sharks Goalie Jones
November 16th, 2019 Facing the San Jose Sharks, opponents are already smelling the blood in the water or, more accurately, the crease. Dating back to last season, goaltending continues to be the Achilles heel for an otherwise-contending team on paper. Unfortunately for the Sharks, No. 1 goalie Martin Jones’ stats leave a paper-thin margin for error each...
