Joakim Ryan

April 2020 – Ryan who was expected to be a regular for the Kings this season has only appeared in 35 games between being sidelined by a knee injury for a month and being a healthy scratch. He has put up one goal and five points and will become an unrestricted free agent at seasons end. With the emergence of a few AHL players being recalled; young defense corps at the Kings disposal and 11 defensemen under contract for the 2020-2021 season, Ryan will have to wait and see what the future holds for him in Los Angeles. Julian Mongillo

July 2019 – Ryan has signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Kings.  Jokke Nevalainen

June 2019 – Ryan did not get a qualifying offer from the Sharks which means he becomes an unrestricted free agent.  Jokke Nevalainen

July 2018 – It would be difficult to call Joakim Ryan’s rookie season anything other than a success. Despite only putting up 12 points in 62 NHL games this season, Ryan spent most of the season on the top pair with Brent Burns at five on five. In fact, Ryan was Burns’ most common defense partner by a good margin. Ryan makes a good partner for Burns as he plays a safe game, allowing Burns to do his thing in the offensive zone. Unfortunately this doesn’t do much for Ryan’s fantasy value, although you can probably expect some secondary assists just by virtue of the prime minutes he’ll get five on five. Ryan has played on the powerplay in the minors and done reasonably well, however the Sharks have better options there so barring injuries it will be tough for Ryan to get that boost. Expect to see Ryan line up with Burns once again this season, but don’t expect a big bump in his point production. Chris Legg

October 2017 – Just two games into his NHL career and the play of Joakim Ryan is already causing a buzz. Ryan was called up from the San Jose Barracuda to replace the injured Paul Martin. All the Cornell University alumni did was slot in seamlessly on the top pairing with Brent Burns and log nearly 22 minutes of duty in the Sharks’ first victory of the season. There is the talk of a crowded NHL blueline, what to do when Martin returns if Brendan Dillon or Dylan DeMelo is expendable with the emergence of Ryan and his running mate from last year Tim Heed on the Sharks’ blueline. In back-to-back contests, Ryan did well with the increased speed of the competition and brought steady, smart play to the club. Ryan is not going to blow anyone away with his straight-line speed but his skating ability is fine, and angles are nearly always perfect along with smooth edgework and consistent reads. It is a bit too early for that kind of talk, but the remarkable two-game sample of Ryan indeed allows for general manager Doug Wilson to entertain offers for NHL defender to make room for the increasingly impressive defenders that San Jose has in the cupboard. Zachary DeVine

May 2017 – The top left-handed defender for the San Jose Barracuda has maintained his high level of play into the playoffs. Ryan and partner Tim Heed both are logging heavy minutes as the stakes increase in the post-season. Ryan occasionally struggled with the heavy, physical play of the Stockton Heat in Round One. That said, he certainly maintained his level of two-way play. As a restricted free agent, this summer Ryan has some options available to him. In a recent interview with a Swedish sportswriter, Ryan expressed an interest in playing in the SHL. In fact, he reported that the Malmo Redhawks even reached out to his agent regarding the 2017-18 season. Ryan seemed to say he is more interested in an NHL deal but the fact that he is entertaining the thought of a jump to Europe is mildly concerning. Zachary DeVine

December 2016 – Joakim Ryan enters his second year in the AHL after a solid rookie campaign. He has been paired with Tim Heed and the two are firmly entrenched on the San Jose Barracuda’s top line and top power play unit as well. Ryan’s quietly responsible play and subtle points that continue to pile up remind of Marc-Edouard Vlasic in terms of understated ability in all three zones. Ryan has been especially impressive in defensive zone exits and carrying the play up ice. He could be yet another late-round gem to join the San Jose blueline in the foreseeable future. Zachary DeVine