Joakim Ryan
| Birthday: 1993-06-17 | Position: D |
| Eligible for draft: 2012 | Shoots: Left |
| Drafted: 2012 | Height: 5-11 |
| Acquired: 7th round (198th overall), 2012 | Weight: 183 lbs. |
Probability of Success
- C
History
2010-11: Joakim Ryan had a successful rookie year in the USHL for the Dubuque Fighting Saints where he scored three goals along with 29 assists and an okay minus three rating in 53 games. The American-born player has competed internationally for Sweden as he grew up play hockey in that country and his mother is Swedish-born. Ryan and the Fighting Saints won the Clark Cup to be the Champions of the USHL. He contributed two goals along with three assists and an excellent plus six rating in the 11 playoff games.
2011-12: Ryan had an outstanding first year at Cornell University where he set a new record for goals in a season by freshman defensemen with seven in 34 NCAA games. He finished the season with 17 points and a good plus two rating. The puck moving defender had an easier transition to the NCAA level after playing a full season and winning a Championship with Dubuque in the USHL.
2012-13: Ryan was the top offensive defensemen for Cornell in his sophomore season and led all Big Red skaters with 20 assists. He scored 3 goals and was -2 with 12 penalty minutes in 34 games. Cornell finished tied for ninth in ECAC Hockey but was 4-1-1 in its final six regular season games and pushed first place Quinnipiac to three games in the conference quarterfinals after sweeping Princeton in a preliminary series.
2013-14: Ryan skated in 32 games and was one of three players tied for second in scoring for Cornell behind forward Brian Ferlin in his junior season. The lone defenseman in the group, he scored 8 goals with 16 assists and was +4 with 27 penalty minutes. The Big Red finished fourth in ECAC Hockey and defeated Clarkson in a three-game quarterfinal series before falling to eventual national champion Union, 5-2, in the ECAC Hockey semifinals.
2014-15: Ryan signed a two-year entry-level contract with San Jose in March 2015 following his senior season at Cornell and made his pro debut with the AHL’s Worcester Sharks. He had 2 assists and was -4 with 2 penalty minutes in seven regular season games and did not appear in any playoff games during the Sharks’ first-round series with Hershey. Rayn scored 1 goal with 13 assists and was -4 with 27 penalty minutes in 23 games for Cornell. Cornell finished seventh in ECAC Hockey; finishing 11-14-6 after being swept by Union in a first-round conference playoff series.
Talent Analysis
Ryan is an undersized defenseman with powerful legs and a good offensive arsenal. He reads the play well and his shot is hard enough and low to the ice that it can be very deceptive for goaltenders. Given his size, defense will always be somewhat of a struggle. Right now he copes to the situation by utilizing his speed, but for him to succeed at the professional level, he will need to bulk up to be more than a power play specialist.
Future
Ryan will attend his first training camp with San Jose before starting his pro career in 2015-16. He will be challenged to carve out a spot with a veteran defense corps for the AHL's San Jose Barracuda and must continue developing his all around game to have a shot at one day competing with the parent club. His offensive skill set suggests he can be a puck moving defender at the NHL level if he can continue to address his defensive game and become consistent on his own end of the ice.
