Oilers make roster move to bring back player after locker room was unhappy with decision

The Oilers were rumoured to be completing this roster move earlier this week, and it looked to be a sure thing once the Condors signed a player to an AHL tryout.

The Oilers officially announced the news of the recall this morning, and Ryan will join the team for their four game home stand in Edmonton.

It's great to see for the 38 year old veteran forward, as it was a real tough decision to cut him from the team in the first place. Ryan's family had to stay in Edmonton while he was cut for younger options and sent to California.

Ryan has been a fantastic leader and role player for the Oilers for the last 4 seasons.

Oilers insiders have previously reported that players on the roster weren't happy with the decision to cut Ryan, as he was a really important figure in the locker room.

Derek Ryan will come back to play limited 4th line minutes as a faceoff specialist and penalty killer if he does get back into the lineup, but even if he remains on the bench, he'll be making a meaningful impact.

In 33 games this season, Derek Ryan only scored 1 goal and 4 points. He may not be doing much on the scoresheet, but the Oilers making the roster move to bring him back clearly shows how highly they think of him - and perhaps answering some demands of the locker room.

Source for Derek Ryan stats: Derek Ryan - HockeyDB