Nick Ritchie discussion - clears waivers

[ULF_55]

If the Leafs wanted to keep him they wouldn't have placed him on waivers and would have cleared cap another way , if another team wanted him they would have claimed him .

no one is giving up an asset now that he's cleared to have him play in the minors as a potential call up in case of injuries/covid at his cap hit

it was a bust signing and most of our fan base have accepted that outside of a few who for some reason need to try to spin it that Ritchie still has value

Unless another team has a player they want gone and will do a bad contract for bad contract. Perhaps a different misfit for misfit.

 

[hotpaws]

Weird how many people wanted Ritchie and are now pissed he didn’t get claimed on waivers.

He was a big red flag for years, but people had the Brian Burkian hang up on physicality and pugnacity.

can't say i wanted him but if he consistently played with energy/physicality he wouldn't have been waived

hell if he was that type of player he'd still be with the Ducks

 

[hockeywiz542]

So do they get the full 2.5M in relief because of the Taxi Squad or just the 1.125M as per the CBA "buried contract" rules?

Why the Toronto Maple Leafs waived Nick Ritchie (and why he cleared) - Sportsnet.ca

In order to make the roster compliant, Dubas could’ve sent down a young waivers-exempt defenceman like Rasmus Sandin or Timothy Liljegren — but that would’ve sent the wrong message.

Raise the standard.

With Ritchie’s contract less appetizing than, say, Jimmy Vesey or Travis Boyd’s were last season, the winger can rejoin the Maple Leafs (he practised with the team Friday), be assigned to the taxi squad or be assigned to the AHL Marlies.

If he’s sent to the farm, Toronto can free $1.125 million in cap space, which Dubas can let accrue leading up to the March 21 trade deadline. He’ll be a buyer.

Despite his underwhelming impact to this point, there is still a chance for Ritchie to gather his mojo and sharpen his game.

COVID protocol already claimed Mitch Marner and Engvall on Friday, and injuries are inevitable. The playoffs are a grind.

So even though the well-liked Ritchie was waived, it certainly feels like his days as a Maple Leaf are not over.

 

[The Podium]

Why would it be weird that people want him gone after a poor half season? Seems like a reasonable response to an experiment that didn’t work out…

Richtie might suck but there’s also no need to naysay the Burkisms of pugnacity, belligerence or testosterone. If he brought those things on a nightly basis he wouldn’t have been waived.

Fair, maybe I should’ve worded it:

“This is the same Nick Ritchie that he has always been. People who wanted him to be that big bodied power forward were blinded by size and draft pedigree.”

 

[hotpaws]

Unless another team has a player they want gone and will do a bad contract for bad contract. Perhaps a different misfit for misfit.

i agree and posted that in this thread earlier

best case scenario is we give up a mid rd pick or 2nd tier type prospect with Ritchie for another teams unwanted player who has a fully buriable contract

 

[ottomaddox]

Do you remember last year when Keefe started the season with Jumbo on a line with Matthews and Marner?

This season he started with Ritchie on a line with Matthews and Marner.

Hmm...seems like a theme all of a sudden.

 

[Once]

i agree and posted that in this thread earlier

best case scenario is we give up a mid rd pick or 2nd tier type prospect with Ritchie for another teams unwanted player who has a fully buriable contract

We can't really afford to spend any more draft picks it seems.. yikes.

 

[ottomaddox]

i agree and posted that in this thread earlier

best case scenario is we give up a mid rd pick or 2nd tier type prospect with Ritchie for another teams unwanted player who has a fully buriable contract

Hmm..maybe you're right, but I sort of thought that Dubas has quite the history of giving up picks to get rid of contracts.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Weird how many people wanted Ritchie and are now pissed he didn’t get claimed on waivers.

He was a big red flag for years, but people had the Brian Burkian hang up on physicality and pugnacity.

No, I think it is more of a case of people watching a team fail, without much fight when they had the chance to move on multiple times.

He throws bodychecks, that has some value in the playoffs. As long as the playoffs remains a "different" set of rules, Leafs have to adapt. Of course, he needed to bring more.

I am trying to remain balanced with this team and not overestimate their fight based on the regular season.
Whether they lose another series with or without it him in the lineup it's just another loss.

I have more respect for Dubas making a calculated gamble (being right more often than not by the way), rather than sticking to the same prototype player that hasn't succeeded when it matters most.

We all can predict what management will be forced to do with yet another meek playoff showing. It will always be about balance and Gamers for me. Hope was that Ritchie could find some bite.

 

[hotpaws]

Hmm..maybe you're right, but I sort of thought that Dubas has quite the history of giving up picks to get rid of contracts.

he might have too , i'm just hoping we can find a team doesn't want to spend 1m or so for a guy to play in the minors and might think it's worth it to take Ritchie and also get a small asset

probably wishful thinking on my part , especially since Ritchie will make over 3m in real salary next season

 

[LeafChief]

If the Leafs wanted to keep him they wouldn't have placed him on waivers and would have cleared cap another way , if another team wanted him they would have claimed him .

no one is giving up an asset now that he's cleared to have him play in the minors as a potential call up in case of injuries/covid at his cap hit

it was a bust signing and most of our fan base have accepted that outside of a few who for some reason need to try to spin it that Ritchie still has value

It was an awful signing. With that said, the Leafs traded for Galchenyuk last year AFTER he cleared waivers. It gives the team more flexibility.

 

[crump]

in other news, Ritchie is on the third line.?

Now that he's cleared, can he come up and down at will for the next 30 days?

 

[The Management]

No, I think it is more of a case of people watching a team fail, without much fight when they had the chance to move on multiple times.

He throws bodychecks, that has some value in the playoffs. As long as the playoffs remains a "different" set of rules, Leafs have to adapt. Of course, he needed to bring more.

I am trying to remain balanced with this team and not overestimate their fight based on the regular season.
Whether they lose another series with or without it him in the lineup it's just another loss.

I have more respect for Dubas making a calculated gamble (being right more often than not by the way), rather than sticking to the same prototype player that hasn't succeeded when it matters most.

We all can predict what management will be forced to do with yet another meek playoff showing. It will always be about balance and Gamers for me. Hope was that Ritchie could find some bite.

Yeah, I don't blame Dubas either, or fans for being interested in the player. I thought Ritchie was worth rolling the dice on. Just didn't work out.

 

[LeafChief]

in other news, Ritchie is on the third line.?

Now that he's cleared, can he come up and down at will for the next 30 days?

Yup. Up and down for 30 days.

I'd imagine he's found a way onto the third line because Marner, Engvall and Kase are out.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Who do you hang out with? Holy smokes. With all due respect, it seems like the Hip/Cherry are the least of your worries.

Just look around this site. Plenty of people love Cherry and dislike the hip. It surprised me too.

 

[Cecithepylon]

If Ritchie starts hitting he may earn a spot. But at this point mikheyev is so much better

 

[Leafsfan74]

Yup. Up and down for 30 days.

I'd imagine he's found a way onto the third line because Marner, Engvall and Kase are out.

I like Clifford on this team. He gets far too much grief from some. I see him throw checks, go into corners,.go to the net and help his line create some energy for the team. I bet his teammates like what be brings.

Most importantly to me, he can defend his team without taking silly penalties.

 

[LeafChief]

I like Clifford on this team. He gets far too much grief from some. I see him throw checks, go I to corners,.go to the net and help his line create some energy for the team.

Most importantly to me, he can defend his team without taking silly penalties.

If Ritchie could figure out how to play with Clifford's intensity he'd be a hell of a player.

I've liked Clifford so far in the limited viewings of him this season.

 

[SoftDumpNtheCorner88]

So what's the play with Ritchie?

Is he free to get called up and sent down when needed? Can we bounce him around for cap flexibility? Or does he have to keep passing waivers?

 

[vpasla1]

So what's the play with Ritchie?

Is he free to get called up and sent down when needed? Can we bounce him around for cap flexibility? Or does he have to keep passing waivers?

30 days as mentioned above, or 10 games. Whatever comes first.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Of course Ritchie clears. Next player we waive and want to keep will get scooped up.

 

[ACC1224]

Fair, maybe I should’ve worded it:

“This is the same Nick Ritchie that he has always been. People who wanted him to be that big bodied power forward were blinded by size and draft pedigree.”

If Dubas didn't bring him to be the 'big bodied power forward' what did he bring him in for?

 

[Mugzy97]

Of course Ritchie clears. Next player we waive and want to keep will get scooped up.

Isn’t that exactly how it’s supposed to work?

 

[The Podium]

If Dubas didn't bring him to be the 'big bodied power forward' what did he bring him in for?

No idea, I thought signing Ritchie was a big mistake and completely out of sync with the type of move Dubas normally does.

Dubas usually grabs players who are statistically undervalued for one reason or another, like Kampf (heavy defensive minutes), Bunting (late bloomer) or Kase (injury concerns). Ritchie doesnt fit that bill.

I thought Heinin was going to be his last move to round out the top 9.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

So what's the play with Ritchie?

Is he free to get called up and sent down when needed? Can we bounce him around for cap flexibility? Or does he have to keep passing waivers?

You can move up and down from the taxi squad for a certain timeframe without waivers, don't remember the exact amount. We'll probably see him on the ice Saturday night.