page_title: Ryan Smyth
section_title: Colorado Avalanche (2007–2009)
hierarchical_section_title: Ryan Smyth / Playing career / Colorado Avalanche (2007–2009)
caption_attribution_description: Ryan Smyth warming up before a game in Calgary, Alberta
context_page_description: Ryan Alexander Borden Smyth is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey winger who played most of his career for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League. He was especially known for playing in the style of a power forward. Smyth announced his retirement on April 11, 2014, after 19 seasons in the NHL. He is currently one of the owners of the AJHL Spruce Grove Saints.
  During his junior career, Ryan Smyth spent three years with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League, scoring 105 points during the 1993–94 season. Smyth was then drafted 6th overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. That year he played only three games for the Oilers, as he stayed for the majority of the year in Moose Jaw. He spent 12 seasons with Edmonton before being traded to the New York Islanders in 2007 due to failed contract negotiations. Becoming an unrestricted free agent in the subsequent off-season, he signed a five-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche. After two seasons with the team, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in July 2009. On June 26, 2011, he was re-acquired by the Edmonton Oilers for Colin Fraser and a seventh round pick in 2012.
context_section_description: Becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2007, Smyth signed a five-year, $31.2 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche. After debuting with the Avalanche on October 3, 2007, in a 4–3 win against the Dallas Stars, he scored his first goal with his new team four days later. Beating goaltender Evgeni Nabokov short handed during the third period, he helped Colorado to a 6–2 win. Playing on the first line, Smyth found early chemistry with centre and team captain Joe Sakic. The duo was interrupted, however, as both players were sidelined with injuries for large portions of the season – Smyth's included neck, ankle and head ailments. Limited to 55 games, he recorded 14 goals and 37 points, the lowest totals of his career since the 1998–99 season. During the 2008 playoffs, Smyth helped Colorado advance past the Minnesota Wild in the first round. They were, however, swept the following round by the Detroit Red Wings, who went on to win the Stanley Cup that year. Smyth missed the last two games of the playoffs with a foot injury, finishing with two goals and five points over eight games.
  Smyth bounced back from an injury-filled first year with the Avalanche by remaining healthy for the majority of the 2008–09 season. During the campaign, Ryan Smyth and right winger Milan Hejduk scored their respective 300th career goals on January 18, 2009, against the Calgary Flames in a 6–2 victory at the Pepsi Center. He went on to record 26 goals and 33 assists for 59 points over 77 games, before fracturing his right hand on April 1, 2009, in a 3–0 home loss against the Phoenix Coyotes, ending his season five games early. He tied for the team lead in point-scoring with Hejduk, who played in five more games than Smyth. Dealing with long-term injuries to both Paul Stastny and captain Joe Sakic, the Avalanche struggled as a team and finished last in the Western Conference.
caption: Smyth with the Avalanche
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