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Nick Ritchie discussion - clears waivers

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ACC1224 said:
He cleared?
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ACC1224 said:
I remember watching many games in the St Catharines arena with Fred Perlini, Bruce Boudreau and Walt Podubny playing for the Saints.
Good times.
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Loved the Saints, Stumpy Thomas and Basil McRae.
McRae scored 30 one year and the team gave up on him.
Went on to a decent NHL career collecting 300+ pims a year along the way.

Same with Craig Muni, we later released him and he went on to a couple +40 seasons as a stay at home D with Edmonton.

Those Saints teams also had the return from the Sittler trade. Costello and Strong.
Not sure who was scounting for the Leafs back then but OUCH.

Good times.
 
Racer88 said:
Hmmmmmm according to the article by Luke Fox it seems like Richies play on the goal that we were discussing was a factor in the timing of waiving him.
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Not sure who that is but he at first glance he seems like an idiot.
 
The Iceman said:
Loved the Saints, Stumpy Thomas and Basil McRae.
McRae scored 30 one year and the team gave up on him.
Went on to a decent NHL career collecting 300+ pims a year along the way.

Same with Craig Muni, we later released him and he went on to a couple +40 seasons as a stay at home D with Edmonton.

Those Saints teams also had the return from the Sittler trade. Costello and Strong.
Not sure who was scounting for the Leafs back then but OUCH.

Good times.
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Used to love going to those games. Always stood behind the net and they had no netting over the glass. Reflexes were a lot quicker in those days. :laugh:
 
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budzz said:
Good article on why the Leafs waived Ritchie by Luke Fox.
Why the Toronto Maple Leafs waived Nick Ritchie

Basically alot of what we already know, but I hadn't really spotted his play on the 1-1 tying goal. Lazy and preventable.
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By Spezza, absolutely. Still do not understand how this is getting hung on Ritchie. In fact, the only reason why it looked like Ritchie was getting beat was because he was trying to cover for Spezza. If he was really "lazy", he would have just let Perlini go and not even get close to stopping him like he almost did.

Ritchie was on the left wall, which is where he should be as a LW. Spezza is a center who was not in the right place at any point on that play, and then let a guy who started behind him beat him in a foot race where he decided to take all of one stride until it was clear that Perlini had him beat by 3+ steps... So he took one more stride. He coasted on that entire play.

Maybe Spezza is rusty, since I can't imagine he is tired after only taking like 2 shifts that game, but at the same time Spezza has not really played all that well on the whole this year. He is still an asset on the PP, and he is still winning draws (albeit he is the worst regular on our team and hasn't done very well recently), but other than that... A high shooting percentage is really helping him look better than he is right now.

It is very well possible that Engvall looks a lot better on that line than Ritchie because he has the skating and general ability to cover for Spezza's shortcomings as a center, while Spezza can cover Engvall's inability to win draws. Spezza is not good enough to be a center with two pure wingers anymore, especially when those wingers are slower physical types like Simmonds and Ritchie.
 
SeaOfBlue said:
By Spezza, absolutely. Still do not understand how this is getting hung on Ritchie. In fact, the only reason why it looked like Ritchie was getting beat was because he was trying to cover for Spezza. If he was really "lazy", he would have just let Perlini go and not even get close to stopping him like he almost did.

Ritchie was on the left wall, which is where he should be as a LW. Spezza is a center who was not in the right place at any point on that play, and then let a guy who started behind him beat him in a foot race where he decided to take all of one stride until it was clear that Perlini had him beat by 3+ steps... So he took one more stride. He coasted on that entire play.

Maybe Spezza is rusty, since I can't imagine he is tired after only taking like 2 shifts that game, but at the same time Spezza has not really played all that well on the whole this year. He is still an asset on the PP, and he is still winning draws (albeit he is the worst regular on our team and hasn't done very well recently), but other than that... A high shooting percentage is really helping him look better than he is right now.

It is very well possible that Engvall looks a lot better on that line than Ritchie because he has the skating and general ability to cover for Spezza's shortcomings as a center, while Spezza can cover Engvall's inability to win draws. Spezza is not good enough to be a center with two pure wingers anymore, especially when those wingers are slower physical types like Simmonds and Ritchie.
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Ritchie would have been much better off had he given up earlier and stayed out of the frame.

Thinking he was waived because of that is bizarre.
Is the belief had they not scored that he wouldn't have been waived?
 
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SeaOfBlue said:
By Spezza, absolutely. Still do not understand how this is getting hung on Ritchie. In fact, the only reason why it looked like Ritchie was getting beat was because he was trying to cover for Spezza. If he was really "lazy", he would have just let Perlini go and not even get close to stopping him like he almost did.

Ritchie was on the left wall, which is where he should be as a LW. Spezza is a center who was not in the right place at any point on that play, and then let a guy who started behind him beat him in a foot race where he decided to take all of one stride until it was clear that Perlini had him beat by 3+ steps... So he took one more stride. He coasted on that entire play.

Maybe Spezza is rusty, since I can't imagine he is tired after only taking like 2 shifts that game, but at the same time Spezza has not really played all that well on the whole this year. He is still an asset on the PP, and he is still winning draws (albeit he is the worst regular on our team and hasn't done very well recently), but other than that... A high shooting percentage is really helping him look better than he is right now.

It is very well possible that Engvall looks a lot better on that line than Ritchie because he has the skating and general ability to cover for Spezza's shortcomings as a center, while Spezza can cover Engvall's inability to win draws. Spezza is not good enough to be a center with two pure wingers anymore, especially when those wingers are slower physical types like Simmonds and Ritchie.
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Watch it again.
All Ritchie needed to do is continue skating and he would have had that open man. He stopped pumping and started coasting.
It doesn’t matter that Spezza was beat first, your teammate needs to have your back.
Ritchie is a bum.
 
ACC1224 said:
Ritchie would have been much better off had he given up earlier and stayed out of the frame.

Thinking he was waived because of that is bizarre.
Is the belief had they not scored that he wouldn't have been waived?
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Yes Ritchie is definitely on his correct wing, and it shows Spezza coming up behind the play. But these things happen all the time and the first man back covers for anyone behind the play. You see Ritchie looking over and he knows the guy is coming in fast, and his reaction was lackadaisical. Not entirely on him for sure, but if you're 30 games in with one goal, the least you can do is hustle on every play.
 
budzz said:
Yes Ritchie is definitely on his correct wing, and it shows Spezza coming up behind the play. But these things happen all the time and the first man back covers for anyone behind the play. You see Ritchie looking over and he knows the guy is coming in fast, and his reaction was lackadaisical. Not entirely on him for sure, but if you're 30 games in with one goal, the least you can do is hustle on every play.
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I think that was him hustling, :laugh:
 
Racer88 said:
Hmmmmmm according to the article by Luke Fox it seems like Richies play on the goal that we were discussing was a factor in the timing of waiving him.
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I recall a few weeks ago a play that made me start to believe "maybe he really doesn't care after all". I think it was Kase who scored the goal when the puck was in the crease, Ritche was beside the net with coverage but made no effort to find the puck. Kase as always, did go hard though (in fairness he was in a better position), found the puck and scored.

When a player who is struggling can't find the drive to fight for the front, dig hard for a loose puck that is in the goalies vicinity it speaks volumes. Maybe it's confidence or another variable, but I can't think of one other player on the team who wouldn't have tried to find the puck.

If he clears waivers he may still play for this Leafs team come playoffs, due to injuries, trades, covid circumstances, personnel change during a cold stretch, whatever. I still think there will be a trade made of someone so that Dubas can free up space for a deadline acquisition. A strong, experienced, "not shy" in the physical department, top four D would be my wish. At the very least, it drops some D Men down a spot and adds always needed backend depth.

This will only makes life easier for this team in what is going to be a tough playoff series no matter who they play. Dubas has done a great job finding hungry, engaged players. I expect that he has his eye on a few options that none of us would consider, he's very good at surprising the fanbase.
 
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I don't see much of a problem on that play from Ritchie. Certainly nothing that should be considered a "last straw" to waive him.

From the replay it looks to me like he held up at the blue line thinking Dermott was going to get to the puck first, but once it was clear Perlini was going to beat him, Nick looked over his shoulder for the trailer and tried to catch him.

Yeah he was coasting for a whole second or so but come on, there's not a player in the league that doesn't glide/hold up/coast while seeing how a play is going to develop. His real mistake may just have been doing so because he misjudged that Dermott was going to get the puck.
 
4thline said:
Am I dreaming or didn't the deadline get pushed back to 1 to make it more fair for Western teams?
Edit- of the last several claims, none have been announced before 2pm. Don't know if clearing happens earlier with no need to confirm claim priority

Edit 2- Clifford clearing wasn't announced until 2pm either.

My guess is since he's going to taxi squad not minors they're doing business as usual until/unless told he's not a Leaf, and practice is before that can happen
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This is legalese .. if a team wanted him they call player agent and ask if he would report before making a claim to NHL .. da agent calls player and asks him .. Ritchie being on ice at practice means no one called for him .. this is not real old days where things were done by fax and sometimes teams would find out late .. today every team rep in league knew Ritchie was on waiver wire at 12 noon instantly yesterday via email .. oh well he will give some AAV relief and then he will be useful when we need him when things get tough
 
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Captain14 said:
Watch it again.
All Ritchie needed to do is continue skating and he would have had that open man. He stopped pumping and started coasting.
It doesn’t matter that Spezza was beat first, your teammate needs to have your back.
Ritchie is a bum.
Click to expand...

Ritchie was skating... Maybe he was slow in identifying Perlini at the start, because that was not his guy and not where he should have been looking anyways, but he skated the entire time until he tried to reach and break up the pass.

Calling him lazy and then exonerating Spezza's laziness and poor positioning like it doesn't matter is just grasping for reasons to blame Ritchie for anything (or to protect Spezza). Spezza and Sandin are the reason that goal ended up in the back of the net, not Ritchie.
 
Wonder how much he is liked in the dressing room, him tripping his former teammate and leader Marchand in Boston, after the whistle I thought was interesting. Players don't typically do things to former teammates that quickly after signing elsewhere unless they didn't like them.
 
Antropovsky said:
Wonder how much he is liked in the dressing room, him tripping his former teammate and leader Marchand in Boston, after the whistle I thought was interesting. Players don't typically do things to former teammates that quickly after signing elsewhere unless they didn't like them.
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I mean it is Marchand
 
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Antropovsky said:
Wonder how much he is liked in the dressing room, him tripping his former teammate and leader Marchand in Boston, after the whistle I thought was interesting. Players don't typically do things to former teammates that quickly after signing elsewhere unless they didn't like them.
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I played with guys that I liked in the room and and at the bar, but if I played against them it would probably take less than shift to be wanting to beat the piss out of them- and they weren't marchand level rats lol
 
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