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Ryan wins a long-awaited spot

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Times Staff Writer

Bobby Ryan was able to turn his cellphone back on and pack his passport.

Ryan survived the last round of cuts made by Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle to end training camp Monday, and the former second overall draft pick boarded an airplane for London with his teammates in preparation for Saturday’s regular-season opener against the Kings.

The Ducks made several moves to pare their roster to 27 players, which include injured veterans Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Samuel Pahlsson and Mathieu Schneider.

Wingers Drew Miller and Jason King were assigned to the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Portland, Maine, along with center Petteri Wirtanen and defenseman Aaron Rome.

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“Some guys earned a longer opportunity,” Carlyle said after Sunday’s 5-0 victory over Vancouver in the Ducks’ exhibition finale. “Some guys proved that maybe they weren’t ready.”

But it was the long-awaited promotion of Ryan that made news because many had started wondering when the 20-year-old would make the leap to the NHL after being drafted in 2005 behind reigning Hart Trophy winner Sidney Crosby and ahead of Kings rookie Jack Johnson.

Ryan got plenty of chances to win a job in camp and he probably clinched a roster spot with four assists against the Canucks, flourishing on a line with Ryan Getzlaf and Todd Bertuzzi. Getzlaf had two goals and Bertuzzi had a goal and two assists.

“Playing with Getz and Bertuzzi has a lot to do with it,” he said. “Those guys really make you feel at ease. You know they’re going to do their part and you can only worry about what you’re going to do. Those are guys you can count on in being in the right spots.”

Afterward, Ryan joked about turning his cellphone off and unplugging the telephone in his hotel room so that he wouldn’t get a call to head to the minor leagues.

Carlyle said the New Jersey native is a much different player than the tentative youngster who appeared overmatched in last year’s camp.

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“He’s filling out,” Carlyle said. “You can tell that he’s worked on his conditioning. He was a top-heavy guy before and now he’s starting to spend more time on his core area and his legs, which is a huge improvement for any young hockey player to be able to skate at the NHL level.”

Ryan averaged 33 goals and 81 points in four years of junior hockey at Owen Sound of the Ontario Hockey League and had his best season with the Attack in 2006-07 with 43 goals and 102 points.

Carlyle, however, said it isn’t fair to expect Ryan to put up points immediately but added that he has to be responsible in other areas of his game.

“We’re not going to put a tremendous amount of pressure on him as far as the offensive side of it, but we’re definitely going to put lots of pressure on those points to make sure that, as a coaching staff, we can trust him,” he said.

The team also acquired defenseman Mark Mowers from Boston for prospects Brett Skinner and Nathan Saunders, both defensemen. Mowers, a six-year NHL veteran, will join the Ducks overseas.

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eric.stephens@latimes.com

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