The next Tyler Johnson may be on his way to the NHL.
Free agent center Derek Ryan, named top forward in the Swedish Hockey League this past season, is drawing attention from at least three teams, with the Colorado Avalanche believed to be the front-runners, according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post.
The Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs are also believed to be in the mix.
Like Johnson, Ryan is an undrafted, right-handed, diminutive forward (5-foot-10, 180 pounds) hailing from the town of Spokane, Wash. And like the NHL's current playoff leading scorer, he can also put up major points, leading the Swedish league with 60 in 2014-15, and recording 84 in 55 games to lead Austria's top professional league in scoring the year before.
The 28-year-old spent three seasons with the WHL's Spokane Chiefs and another four years at the University of Alberta before taking his game to Europe.
