Prospect Info: 45th Overall 2024 DRAFT RW Ryder Ritchie

[57special]

Good CHL player but most think he won't translate to the NHL?

Curious to see how good Ryder does. But Minnesota has pretty much plugged holes this draft. High end offensive defenseman. Skilled right winger.

Au contraire, Heidt has been mentioned many times as a guy who has a chance to make the NHL team out of camp( I think that's very optimistic), and at least get his 9 games in. Calling him a "good" CHL player is selling him short. He was third in scoring with 117 points.

I think he'll be in the NHL in 2-3 years from now, maybe 4. Depends on all sorts of things.

 

[Puhis]

Don't mind this at all. Skill and talent, needs to learn teamwork. Decent size, righty, winger. If he busts, too bad, we tried. If he pans out, a skilled scorer with a 2nd. Don't particularly like uncommitted guys tbh, but I can definitely see why we went with him.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Lorenz - Heidt - Ritchie depth scoring 3rd line in 3 years.

 

[Sweetnut]

I remember his father, Byron Ritchie, who played in Sweden a couple of years. Smaller player with good hands. His mother is Swedish, and his uncle is former NHL player Andreas Johansson who played with Lemieux and Jagr.

So he should speak swedish and may even be a swedish citizen. No sure about the last thing though.

 

[Waiver Draft]

 

[BagHead]

Wait, this is Byron Ritchie's kid? Holy crap I feel old suddenly. That guy is only a handful of years older than me.

 

[57special]

6' 1/4", 177lbs. Decent size. Like most young prospect, needs to put on some weight. Seems to not be fully mature yet, physically. Didn't realize he missed 10 weeks of the past season due to injury. That's tough, and explains a lot. Low key excited to see how this guy works out. Aug Bday, RHS... untapped potential, possibly? I like it.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

Lorenz - Heidt - Ritchie depth scoring 3rd line in 3 years.

You mean Bankier - Heidt - Ritchie

In all honesty I think he and Lorenz both have the potential to play there. Lorenz has the better frame, Bankier the better shot.

6' 1/4", 177lbs. Decent size. Like most young prospect, needs to put on some weight. Seems to be fully mature, yet, physically. Didn't realize he missed 10 weeks of the past season due to injury. That's tough, and explains a lot. Low key excited to see how this guy works out. Aug Bday, RHS... untapped potential, possibly? I like it.

I like this as long as the attitude/selfish player reports are simply immaturity or overblown.

 

[57special]

You mean Bankier - Heidt - Ritchie

In all honesty I think he and Lorenz both have the potential to play there. Lorenz has the better frame, Bankier the better shot.


I like this as long as the attitude/selfish player reports are simply immaturity or overblown.

There is one blowhard on the main board who has him labelled as entitled, but he seems to be a weird guy. WHL watchers who i trust have zero issues with him, and think this pick is a good one, much like the Heidt pick.

I hope that Bankier comes back looking good this year. We need a C with size and skill like we need to breathe.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

There is one blowhard on the main board who has him labelled as entitled, but he seems to be a weird guy. WHL watchers who i trust have zero issues with him, and think this pick is a good one, much like the Heidt pick.

I hope that Bankier comes back looking good this year. We need a C with size and skill like we need to breathe.

Good to know regarding Ritchie.

I can't remember if he was one of the ones that stayed in Minnesota this summer ALA Rossi, but if he did, that is a good sign. Big believer in his tools/potential.

 

[Circulartheory]

You mean Bankier - Heidt - Ritchie

In all honesty I think he and Lorenz both have the potential to play there. Lorenz has the better frame, Bankier the better shot.


I like this as long as the attitude/selfish player reports are simply immaturity or overblown.

Do you think Bankier would end up as a winger? He's off to his start as a center with Toporowski.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

Do you think Bankier would end up as a winger? He's off to his start as a center with Toporowski.

I do, while he improved quite a bit in understanding his coverage and backchecking responsibilities (nonexistent first 10-15 games), I don't think hes a center. Will have to pay more attention to his faceoffs, transition through center ice, etc. more this year, and he will need to fill in that lanky frame. I like him a lot more on the wing in transition and for setting up his shot, which I think is underrated.

 

[Waiver Draft]

 

[Wabit]

I like the tiger’s jersey better. So that’s a win for our guy, right?

 

[Wasted Talent]

I like the tiger’s jersey better. So that’s a win for our guy, right?

I imagine potentially getting to play with Gavin McKenna is a nice bonus

 

[thestonedkoala]

I imagine potentially getting to play with Gavin McKenna is a nice bonus

Haight played with Michael Misa and that didn't really help out much.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

Haight played with Michael Misa and that didn't really help out much.

McKenna is significantly better than Misa. McKenna is in the Bedard tier of upcoming prospects.

Not sure it will help Ritchie develop better, but it certainly shouldn’t hurt his development either.

 

[57special]

McKenna is significantly better than Misa. McKenna is in the Bedard tier of upcoming prospects.

Not sure it will help Ritchie develop better, but it certainly shouldn’t hurt his development either.

It will certainly help him in the WHL.

 

[thestonedkoala]

McKenna is significantly better than Misa. McKenna is in the Bedard tier of upcoming prospects.

Not sure it will help Ritchie develop better, but it certainly shouldn’t hurt his development either.

Misa was considered in that tier at one point; he was granted exceptional status, broke one of McDavid's records as a 15 year, had one of the highest PPG for a rookie (better than Tavares) and would have been more hyped if not for Hagen. Misa is an outstanding prospect.

I thought Haight would have been benefited from being on the team, but not really.

 

[57special]

Ritchie is leading the Memorial Cup in points and goals. Doesn't hurt that he is playing with Mckenna, but I've watched some of Ritchie and he looks pretty good. Decent size(6'2"?), and seems to be filling out a bit. Still a work in progress, but the skating is above average, as is his offensive game. He's no power forward, but not soft, either.

Remains to be seen if he is the next Adam Beckman.

 

[Puhis]

Ritchie is leading the Memorial Cup in points and goals. Doesn't hurt that he is playing with Mckenna, but I've watched some of Ritchie and he looks pretty good. Decent size(6'2"?), and seems to be filling out a bit. Still a work in progress, but the skating is above average, as is his offensive game. He's no power forward, but not soft, either.

Remains to be seen if he is the next Adam Beckman.

Looks good so far. Still 18 too; only turning 19 in August.

TSN talked about him in their Memorial Cup coverage, too:

 

[Al Lagoon]

Remains to be seen if he is the next Adam Beckman.

As long as he doesn't take it out on the refs....