Name: Michael Ryder
Position: Right Wing
Age: 30
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 186
Shoots: Right
Status: Final season under three-year, $12M contract; $4M cap-hit per season

Line combinations:

Regular season, EV: 45.91% w/David Krejci and Blake Wheeler
Regular season, PP: 39.45% w/Marc Savard and Marco Sturm
Playoffs, EV: 53.29% w/Vladimir Sobotka and Wheeler
Playoffs, PP: 25.30% w/Savard and Miro Satan

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The Good: Started the season off with a bang; thinking we’re finally going to see the 30-goal Michael Ryder in black-and-gold. He tallied 3-3-6, plus-1, and 16 shots on goal in his first eight games of the season. Finished the 2009-10 campaign with 18 goals—tied for third on the team. During the playoffs, the 30-year-old lit the lamp four times—including two important goals in Game 2 in Buffalo.

Surprisingly, Ryder finished seventh on the squad with 109 hits;  his 191 shots on goal ranked him third; and was one of two Bruins skaters to have played in all 82 games.

The Bad: On the contrary to everything “Good”: After starting the season hot, he played the remainder streaky and inconsistent. After scoring two meaningless goals in the final game of the season, Ryder netted just one in the previous 22 games, and three in last 25 contests leading up to Game 82. And after potting three in his first eight games (quick math here) he netted just 15 goals over his next 74 games. For a player getting paid $4M per season—top-6 forward money—scoring just 18 goals on 191 shots, and having played in all 82 games to boot, is atrocious.

His inconsistency carried into the playoffs, as No. 73 posted just 0-1-1 totals and a minus-2 in the seven games after scoring half of his post season goals in Game 2. The $4M man may have played dressed in all 82 games this year, but he certainly didn’t show up for them all.

Final Grade:

For a guy who had 25-30 goals and 53-63 points in four of his last five seasons, Ryder’s 18-15-33 was his second-worst season total of his career.

I’m sure 99.9% of Bruins’ fans would love to see Boston’s brass rid away with No. 73 once and for all, and watch the right winger play elsewhere in his final year of his contract. But unless Ryder gets bought-out (which would be a bad move); plays his final season in the AHL (which would never happen for $4M); or gets shipped/traded for $0.05 to the dollar; we’ll see good ‘ol Michael Ryder in black-and-gold one more time.

Best case scenario: Ryder rebounds and nets 25-plus goal—like he’s capable of doing—or Julien stops being buddy-buddy with his favorite Bruin, and starts giving him fourth-line minutes in lieu of players who actually give a hoot and put in an honest effort every night.

Next report card: No. 81 Miroslav Satan

Check out my other 21 report card right here.