Confirmed with Link: Calum Ritchie signs ELC

[Alienblood]

Not at all. I’ve watched Ritchie 10x more than any Avs fan combined. I get the argument for him getting 9 games due to the injury situation, but he isn’t ready. Nice goal tonight for sure but was quiet most of the game. You guys have 1 good prospect with NHL upside, and it’s him. You have to be very careful with his development, especially since he lost all off season last year. He’s a tall kid but he’s not built at all.

he's pretty solid looking now.

 

[Balthazar]

he's pretty solid looking now.

Depends on your definition of "solid looking" I guess:

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Depends on your definition of "solid looking" I guess:

Maybe he means physically, responding to the guys last comment that he isn’t built well at all.

Remember, Ritchie put on 75 pounds of muscle in the offseason.

 

[Avs_19]

Depends on your definition of "solid looking" I guess:

My main takeaway from this is that you don’t use the dark HF theme. What’s the matter with you?

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Maybe he means physically, responding to the guys last comment that he isn’t built well at all.

Remember, Ritchie put on 75 pounds of muscle in the offseason.

Think your misquoting what Ritchie said, I believe it’s actually 175lbs of pure muscle added this off season

 

[AvsMakar08]

Think your misquoting what Ritchie said, I believe it’s actually 175lbs of pure muscle added this off season

Has anyone seen Ritchie?

 

[McMetal]

agree to disagree. Development in hockey is all about puck touches and playing in all situations, which he won’t get in the NHL this season. It’s just a bad look for the Avs, he’s clearly not ready to play at this level and his body is not developed for it yet. Prime years of Mackinnon and Rantanen and they’re pinning their hopes on a 19 year old.

Well, if he starts out on the 2nd line, you can bet he'll get plenty of opportunities for those. He's also be a shoe-in for the half wall on the 2nd PP unit, for that matter. And he's not expected to be a PKer, so I wouldn't lament his lack of deployment there.

 

[MonsterMack]

My main takeaway from this is that you don’t use the dark HF theme. What’s the matter with you?

I use dark mode on almost everything. It looks terrible on HF so I also don't use it.

 

[Balthazar]

My main takeaway from this is that you don’t use the dark HF theme. What’s the matter with you?

I don’t use dark themes anywhere

 

[RoyIsALegend]

I don’t use dark themes anywhere

 

[The Abusement Park]

I’m sure they are also pinning hopes on Mitts taking a jump this year now that he has experience in our system and had a full training camp with us.

I mean a jump from where he was in the playoffs would be awesome, but I feel like that's a hefty expectation. He was unreal to end the season last year.

 

[emptyNedder]

Depends on your definition of "solid looking" I guess:

Ritchie seems to be an jexample of an anti-eye-test. In his prospect thread several posters were unimpressed with his WJC-18 performance. Last season Sennecke seemed to get most of the positive attention. I didn't see the game last night, but Ritchie played the 2nd most minutes among forwards and was one of only three who wasn't negative +/-.

While "box-score" analysis doesn't have a ton of value, in Ritchie's case it makes a strong case that his line mates and team perform better when he is on the ice, even when Ritchie himself is not overly noticeable in a good way.

 

[Snow Arc]

Maybe he means physically, responding to the guys last comment that he isn’t built well at all.

Remember, Ritchie put on 75 pounds of muscle in the offseason.

Think your misquoting what Ritchie said, I believe it’s actually a full suite of cybernetic limbs.

 

[henchman21]

Ritchie was pretty bad last night... there shouldn't be much debate about that. Both of his games have been rather poor IMO.

On his staying up or going down, I think too much is made of it on either side. If he's rushed and he isn't ready (which to this point, I don't think he is)... the most important thing is that the Avs recognize it and send him down. You don't want him struggling up here to just keep him in the NHL. I'd probably say try to make that decision prior to 9 games. But at least by the end of November. If he's sent down, there is still a lot he can develop and learn in the OHL. He should dominate offensively because he's skilled and the league should be easy for him. He can still learn to attack the middle of the ice better, be more aggressive, play better defense... and overall learn to utilize his frame. There are things he can work on there, so not the worst thing to send him down.

In either manner, he'll end up roughly where he should be regardless of the decision. If he struggles in the NHL, it might just delay him a bit and hurt his interim value.