Bobby Ryan is a quick replacement for the departed captain in Ottawa. (USATSI)
Bobby Ryan is a quick replacement for the departed captain in Ottawa. (USATSI)

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While free agency was taking center stage on Friday, a major trade might have stole the show. The Ottawa Senators acquired winger Bobby Ryan from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Jakob Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen and a first-round pick per Bob McKenzie.

If Ottawa Senators fans were feeling sad about losing Daniel Alfredsson in free agency, GM Bryan Murray tried to cheer them up with a huge trade. They get a player who at this point is a better player and much younger to replace Alfredsson on the wing.

And yes, assuming by this Bobby Ryan tweet, it's a done deal.

Talk about a big deal. Ryan is signed for two years at $5.1 million per season and he's proven to be worth it. Before the shortened lockout season, Ryan had been scoring the nets. He had four straight seasons of at least 30 goals, a consistent scorer on the wing in Anaheim. For a team that was struggling to score some and just lost a winger in Alfredsson, it's the right move at the right time.

That's not to say he'll replace Alfredsson in every sense of the word -- that's tough and that's a wound that's going to sting in Ottawa -- but on the ice, it's hard to complain if your the Sens.

Ryan has been the subject of trade rumors for more than a year now. A report came out at last year's draft that he had asked for a trade, seemingly tired of his name constanlty being floated as trade bait. The Flyers were the team constantly mentioned for Ryan given the fact that he's from South Jersey. In the end, Ottawa is the surprise winner.

Another little sidenote to watch: Ryan is obviously now in Ottawa, who has a provincial rivalry with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The coach of the Leafs? Former Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, who did not see eye to eye with Ryan. We'll have to see if that manages to rear its head somehow down the line.

The return to Anaheim might not seem like a ton but Silfverberg is a pretty good young player and Noesen projects to be. The first-rounder going to Anaheim doesn't figure to be high with how the Sens are shaping up, but it should still produce an NHL player down the line for the Ducks. It's a pretty good -- not great but pretty good -- return for Ryan. It will take a few years to really judge their return.