C Calum Ritchie - Oshawa Generals, OHL (2023, 27th, COL)
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embarrassing
I didn't realize that the verdict was in on the 23 draft already and must have missed all of those call ups in the last week.
Ritchie is showing that he could become a low #1 or high #2 2 way center this year.
You do realize that Colton is closer to the 96th best center in the league than the 33rd right?
I do. He’s a middle six C. A below average one, but Avs playing him at 2C right now.
And you know as well as I do that the 2023 draft was highly regarded for its talent at both the top and its depth.
Yes and Ritchie still being there at 27 is a testament to that but every draft looks good less than 1 year out.
That gets me to the point of Ritchie is doing.
He has literally carried Oshawa on his back since his return and is second in PPG in the OHL along with an excellent 2 way game and has all the makings of a ROR type of player at the next level with more goal scoring.
This is his scouting report on Dobber
Calum Ritchie
February 2024 - Ritchie has been named the OHL's Player of the Month after putting up a league-leading 26 points in 13 games. The centerman is also managed roughly 2.5 SOG/game and 10 FOW per game. It appears safe to say he has recovered from his shoulder injury. There is every reason to be excited
dobberprospects.com
Prospect of Interest: Why Calum Ritchie is a polarizing player in 2023 draft
Playing through a shoulder injury most of the season, Ritchie showed flashes and has considerable size, but needs to work on his overall pace.
Colton is playing 13:50/game that's a 3rd line center the Avs just happen to have 2 of them and Mack plays a ton.
i never understood why he was so lowly ranked all season. it seemed obvious the injury was cause of mediocre production, more upside was there. and then in draft i was sure he wouldn't last past wild. i hate that he was stolen by avs.Yes and Ritchie still being there at 27 is a testament to that but every draft looks good less than 1 year out.
That gets me to the point of Ritchie is doing.
He has literally carried Oshawa on his back since his return and is second in PPG in the OHL along with an excellent 2 way game and has all the makings of a ROR type of player at the next level with more goal scoring.
This is his scouting report on Dobber
Calum Ritchie
February 2024 - Ritchie has been named the OHL's Player of the Month after putting up a league-leading 26 points in 13 games. The centerman is also managed roughly 2.5 SOG/game and 10 FOW per game. It appears safe to say he has recovered from his shoulder injury. There is every reason to be exciteddobberprospects.com
Prospect of Interest: Why Calum Ritchie is a polarizing player in 2023 draft
Playing through a shoulder injury most of the season, Ritchie showed flashes and has considerable size, but needs to work on his overall pace.www.sportsnet.ca
Yes. Colton is a middle six C.
Someone that could play up the line-up but you'd prefer he didn't and remained on the 3rd line.
But given Colton is more likely to be deployed as a 2C instead of a 4C on a top end team like the Avs... he is, by definition, a middle six C and not a bottom six C.
And if that is Ritchie's ceiling, that sucks for Ritchie. I think Ritchie is profiling for as a top six C today. He's dominating the OHL in his post draft season. And if you're one of the best players in the OHL when you're 18, your ceiling as an NHL player should be pretty dang high. For what it's worth, Dobber Prospects have moved him from 2C potential to a chart where his potential is now middle of the 1C potential. The slope of the line is angled directionally well for the Avs post draft.
FYI - Ritchie's team was in last place with the Peterborough Petes... in the basement of their division when he came off IR or whatever the OHL uses for long term injuries... tied for last place when he returned to the line-up in mid November. Last night Oshawa destroyed the Brandford Bulldogs in a battle of 1st vs 2nd place. 8:3 and now they are in first place in their division as of Feb 4th. Ritchie has propelled his team from last place to first place in like 2.5 months. Oshawa isn't some amazing team full of future NHL players. They don't have a single defender or goalie that has been drafted into the NHL. Of the forwards, just three others have been drafted... two were 6th round picks and one was a late 2nd rounder to the Wild in 2023. That's it.
You look at a team like London and you see Easton Cowen playing with Sam Dickenson (high 1st rounder in 2024), O Bonk... 1st round pick in 2023. London has seven drafted forwards in including high-ish picks like Kasper Halttunen (high 2nd in 2023) and Denver Barkley. 3 defenders that have been drafted and one that will be a top 10 pick in June. It's a far better team than the one Ritchie plays on, which gives you some context to Ritchie's production vs that of an Easton Cowen.
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Would not be surprised if he doesn’t get at least 9 games next fall with the big club and potentially even have a path to make the team as a teenage rookie. I’m not saying it would be in a prominent top six role but with the Avs pay structure, even if they get some temporary help for this spring - depth is always going to be an issue.
Ritchie seems to have a bit of that ROR DNA that makes me think he’s a dark horse 2023 draftee to make his team before his junior eligibility is up. Even if ultimately his upside doesn’t match some of the guys picked ahead of him - there’s a maturity to his game and his physical profile and a distinct team need that could match up well as soon as next year. Some of the Avs calculus on what assets are and are not available in the next month may place a value on Ritchie as somebody who isn’t going to take multiple years to be an entry level contract contributor on a title chasing NHL team.
I say all this and watch him get dealt in some sort of deadline blockbuster…lol.
Ritchie seems to have a bit of that ROR DNA that makes me think he’s a dark horse 2023 draftee to make his team before his junior eligibility is up. Even if ultimately his upside doesn’t match some of the guys picked ahead of him - there’s a maturity to his game and his physical profile and a distinct team need that could match up well as soon as next year. Some of the Avs calculus on what assets are and are not available in the next month may place a value on Ritchie as somebody who isn’t going to take multiple years to be an entry level contract contributor on a title chasing NHL team.
I say all this and watch him get dealt in some sort of deadline blockbuster…lol.
I'd hate it so much if the Avs traded Ritchie, but thanks to the Lindholm deal, any chance he was moved for a rental are long gone. If he got moved to land a Zegras or Danault type solution, so be it. Boone Jenner would be aiming too low.
The truth is Ritchie should be the Avs 2C solution, but hard to see that being next year, though I do suspect he'll get a 9 game tryout. I'd rather he get one more year to destroy the OHL, dominate the WJC and jump to the NHL in Sept 2025. Odd Canada didn't use him this cycle, that was a miss by a lousy iteration of Team Canada anyway.
Stay the F away from the Colorado Eagles AHL team. The Avs are trash at developing young players there. The Org plays to win at the AHL for some stupid reason and they never use that club to get big minutes or roles to the younger players. It's insane to many of us, but the Avs don't use their AHL team to develop drafted players. They'd probably put Ritchie on the 3rd line and give him hardly any PP minutes.
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2 goals and the game winner tonight.
2 points tonight (1 goal, 1 assist) and 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) in his last 6 games.
Ritchie has dragged the Generals from the basement to 1 point out from being 1st in the East since he returned from his shoulder surgery.
Ritchie has dragged the Generals from the basement to 1 point out from being 1st in the East since he returned from his shoulder surgery.
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3 points last night (2 goals, 1 assist) against Sudbury and he now has catapulted Oshawa to the no. 1 spot in the East.
1.6 PPG. +45 in 50 games. Took his team from 9th place in the east to first.
Dude is an A+ prospect at this point. 2C seems more like his floor than his ceiling.
Surpised he isnt getting a little more discussion with how he finished out the season and his performance in the OHL playoffs.
Congrats to Cal for his first NHL goal! Sweet pass by Manson.
