Former Bruins Nick Ritchie III

[Dennis Bonvie]

Exactly

What do you think the Bruins coaching staff thought of Ritchie winning the 7th player award?

I'm thinking big eye rolls.

 

[LSCII]

Most any NHL player will pick up some points when given masses of PP time and top 6 duty. Relative to the opportunities he was getting, his point totals aren’t impressive at all.

I’m not even going to get at the 7th player award. I disagree with the selection the majority of the time.

Did people not notice that his production essentially grounded to a halt when he stopped getting put out on the top PP unit? I don't get how one can miss that and think he was a viable player. He was a guy that benefitted from getting to play on a great PP unit. A third of his goals came from the PP last year. He wasn't going to get that PP TOI here going forward, so by default you're talking about 3rd/4th liner that would score maybe 10 goals.

 

[Over the volcano]

What do you think the Bruins coaching staff thought of Ritchie winning the 7th player award?

I'm thinking big eye rolls.

I’m thinking they hated it because they already knew they didn’t want to pay him what he would get in arbitration.

 

[Over the volcano]

Did people not notice that his production essentially grounded to a halt when he stopped getting put out on the top PP unit? I don't get how one can miss that and think he was a viable player. He was a guy that benefitted from getting to play on a great PP unit. A third of his goals came from the PP last year. He wasn't going to get that PP TOI here going forward, so by default you're talking about 3rd/4th liner that would score maybe 10 goals.

He was 4th on the club in even strength goals. At 2.5 mil he can check off a bunch of boxes for a roster in need.

Think he will do well in Toronto where there’s room on the left wing for him to run with some good forwards. He could clean up on the PP too just by parking his ass in the crease with all the shooters they have

 

[LSCII]

What do you think the Bruins coaching staff thought of Ritchie winning the 7th player award?

I'm thinking big eye rolls.

They knew what he was which is why they opted out of the process with him and chose to negotiate a lesser deal with him instead. And I'm sure they'd have taken him back at a certain price point, but they know full well what he is and what he isn't. He's a 4th line stiff that skates like he's got a piano on his back, doesn't use his size very well, and has a very limited hockey iq.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I’m thinking they hated it because they already knew they didn’t want to pay him what he would get in arbitration.

The coaches don't pay anyone.

I'm sure that applies to management, though.

 

[LSCII]

He was 4th on the club in even strength goals. At 2.5 mil he can check off a bunch of boxes for a roster in need.

Those goal totals are inflated by the PP TOI he got. Take that away and he's a bottom of the roster type. And if he'd have taken less, they'd have taken him back. He got more in TO than he'd have in Boston, so I don't blame him for leaving, but I would have been mad had the Bruins overpaid to retain him since we know what he is here.

 

[Over the volcano]

Those goal totals are inflated by the PP TOI he got. Take that away and he's a bottom of the roster type. And if he'd have taken less, they'd have taken him back. He got more in TO than he'd have in Boston, so I don't blame him for leaving, but I would have been mad had the Bruins overpaid to retain him since we know what he is here.

No those are his goals without the PP time

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

No those are his goals without the PP time

Yep, only members of the perfection line scored more goals at even strength than Ritchie.

 

[LSCII]

No those are his goals without the PP time

He had 15 goals and 5 on the PP. If you were discussing something else with another poster, I missed that and was not responding to that part at all. I simply look at the player and the flaws he has in his game and I see him as a guy that has basically reached his ceiling. And if that's the best you can get, I'd rather spend the money elsewhere and get something possibly better.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

He had 15 goals and 5 on the PP. If you were discussing something else with another poster, I missed that and was not responding to that part at all. I simply look at the player and the flaws he has in his game and I see him as a guy that has basically reached his ceiling. And if that's the best you can get, I'd rather spend the money elsewhere and get something possibly better.

Excellent side stepping!

 

[LSCII]

Excellent side stepping!

No sidestepping needed. If Nick Ritchie is the 4th best scoring option you have at ES, your team isn't a real cup contender. Which we all saw was the case during the playoffs.

 

[Bearcrap]

He was 4th on the club in even strength goals. At 2.5 mil he can check off a bunch of boxes for a roster in need.

Think he will do well in Toronto where there’s room on the left wing for him to run with some good forwards. He could clean up on the PP too just by parking his ass in the crease with all the shooters they have

Problem is he won't be able to "run" with Toronto's best forwards....fast crawl at best.

 

[LSCII]

The main issue here isn't whether or not the team lost in the playoffs because of Nick Ritchie being on the roster. They didn't. They lost in the playoffs because the roster had so many gaping holes that a stiff like Nick Ritchie was able to be your 4th best ES scoring option. That means your roster is lacking.

That's not an indictment on the player, but it surely is one on the GM.

 

[BruinsBtn]

The main issue here isn't whether or not the team lost in the playoffs because of Nick Ritchie being on the roster. They didn't. They lost in the playoffs because the roster had so many gaping holes that a stiff like Nick Ritchie was able to be your 4th best ES scoring option. That means your roster is lacking.

That's not an indictment on the player, but it surely is one on the GM.

Nick Ritchie scored 1 playoff goal.

That's behind:

• Marchand
• Bergeron
• Pasta
• Krejci
• Smith
• Coyle
• Debrusk
• Hall

He was the 9th option and that was basically the case since the trade deadline.

I really wonder if some of the people posting here even watch the games. His problem isn't scoring. He picked up the odd garbage goal and that's all he's really good for.

His problem is that he's an absolute cycle killer. Every time he gets the puck down low he throws it away or gets stripped. On the powerplay as well, he struggled to make possession plays.

You just can't have a guy who can't maintain offensive-zone possession in the bottom-6, especially when you're trying to play him with a possession monster like Coyle.

 

[LSCII]

Nick Ritchie scored 1 playoff goal.

That's behind:

• Marchand
• Bergeron
• Pasta
• Krejci
• Smith
• Coyle
• Debrusk
• Hall

He was the 9th option and that was basically the case since the trade deadline.

I really wonder if some of the people posting here even watch the games. Still, his problem isn't scoring. He picked up the odd garbage goal and that's all he's really good for.

His problem is that he's an absolute cycle killer. Every time he gets the puck down low he throws it away or gets stripped. On the powerplay as well, he struggled to make possession plays.

You just can't have a guy who can't maintain offensive-zone possession in the bottom-6, especially when you're trying to play him with a possession monster like Coyle.

Exactly. This is not the guy you should be lamenting as the one that got away. He's 100% JAG and not even a good one at that.

 

[Over the volcano]

Nick Ritchie scored 1 playoff goal.

That's behind:

• Marchand
• Bergeron
• Pasta
• Krejci
• Smith
• Coyle
• Debrusk
• Hall

He was the 9th option and that was basically the case since the trade deadline.

I really wonder if some of the people posting here even watch the games. His problem isn't scoring. He picked up the odd garbage goal and that's all he's really good for.

His problem is that he's an absolute cycle killer. Every time he gets the puck down low he throws it away or gets stripped. On the powerplay as well, he struggled to make possession plays.

You just can't have a guy who can't maintain offensive-zone possession in the bottom-6, especially when you're trying to play him with a possession monster like Coyle.

He had one fewer point than Hall

 

[Mick Riddleton]

Why are we still talking about a Leaf player, he is gone, turn the page. He was nothing special at all.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Why are we still talking about a Leaf player, he is gone, turn the page. He was nothing special at all.

Seriously. Lock it up and take it too that former bruins thread

 

[LSCII]

Why are we still talking about a Leaf player, he is gone, turn the page. He was nothing special at all.

Even if this guy was still a UFA, he's a marginal, bottom of the roster type in a sea of similar other players. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the reaction by some at the "loss" of this guy, but I am. He sucked. Even if he had the 4th most even strength goals per 60 minutes with the least offensive zone starts (not sure if I did that right ), it was still marginal production and not good enough. And isn't the goal to get better instead of hoping to stay the same?

 

[False Start]

He had one fewer point than Hall

He had 1 more point than Debrusk.

See what I did there?

 

[LSCII]

Yep, only members of the perfection line scored more goals at even strength than Ritchie.

Sure but is that more of a commentary on Ritchie's ability to fill up the back of the net, or the GM's failure to augment the perfection line with just average secondary scoring?

 

[Over the volcano]

He had 1 more point than Debrusk.

See what I did there?

… is making 1.25 mil less on his new deal.

 

[Over the volcano]

Sure but is that more of a commentary on Ritchie's ability to fill up the back of the net, or the GM's failure to augment the perfection line with just average secondary scoring?

Think you’re making the argument that Ritchie is just average secondary scoring… I agree

 

[LSCII]

Think you’re making the argument that Ritchie is just average secondary scoring… I agree

Nah. He's waaaaaaaay below average. The point I've been making all along, and the one you continually ignore while pining away for Nick to come back, is that if Nick Ritchie is your best secondary scorer, you're team sucks at scoring and your GM f***ed up by not having any actual decent options.