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Nick Ritchie in Toronto

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hotpaws said:
as long as the Leafs are playing well and comfortably in a playoff spot he’ll continue to get opportunities in the top 6

if he was making 1m he’d have been waived and buried in the minors
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He's definitely in that category of "we paid him so he's playing". He hasn't earned his minutes, not by a long stretch. And he sure doesn't deserve to be given minutes playing shotgun to the reigning Richard trophy winner. He'd be in the minors if he was one of the guys making near the minimum.
 
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After a night's sleep to cool off the hot takes, Ritchie is causing no particular harm to his linemates who have been producing. He is the type of player I'd like to see on Matthews/Marner's wing. How he hasn't produced something is crazy bad luck. He's bound to break out. I do however think goals are being left on the table giving a regular shift with Marner and Matthews. Bunting, Engvall, Kase, Spezza, even Simmonds all seem like they probably would have finished several times with this type of opportunity.
 
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The experiment should be over, I get that we are thin on the left wing but he is a black hole and should be thrown in the press box or ideally a conditioning stint in the AHL for a few games.

Run the lines:
Bunting Matthew Marner
Kerfoot JT Nylander
Engvall Kampf Kase
Simmonds Semyonov Spezza

If Ritchie finds his game in the AHL bring him back up to play on the 4th line. If you can dump him at the TDL with a minor sweetener then do it.
 
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Funk21 said:
The experiment should be over, I get that we are thin on the left wing but he is a black hole and should be thrown in the press box or ideally a conditioning stint in the AHL for a few games.

Run the lines:
Bunting Matthew Marner
Kerfoot JT Nylander
Engvall Kampf Kase
Simmonds Semyonov Spezza

If Ritchie finds his game in the AHL bring him back up to play on the 4th line. If you can dump him at the TDL with a minor sweetener then do it.
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I get the feeling that Clifford is on the Marlies now getting his game/conditioning, and soon to supplant Ritchie. Not on the top line. Likely somewhere that can keep Bunting up and Ritchie away from regular play.
 
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Cliffy will play on the 4th line if he plays but I doubt they healthy scratch Ritchie much. Just gotta hope this guy is saving it for the playoffs.

With Ritchie, Bunting, Cliffy and Simmonds in the lineup, we should be more "difficult" to play against when it counts.
 
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ottomaddox said:
I get the feeling that Clifford is on the Marlies now getting his game/conditioning, and soon to supplant Ritchie. Not on the top line. Likely somewhere that can keep Bunting up and Ritchie away from regular play.
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You don’t keep 2.5 million on a cap heavy team away from regular play or healthy scratched. You trade him if he’s that bad.
 
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ToneDog said:
Cliffy will play on the 4th line if he plays but I doubt they healthy scratch Ritchie much. Just gotta hope this guy is saving it for the playoffs.

With Ritchie, Bunting, Cliffy and Simmonds in the lineup, we should be more "difficult" to play against when it counts.
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Yes, I think a lot of these acquisitions that have been made have the post season in mind, Bunting and Simmonds are great, I think the hope is Ritchie will throw his weight around so we don't play scared and in the playoffs he can open up room for our boys to shine.

Only issue is he has barely thrown his weight around so far In the regular season, I hope he's saving it up for the playoffs which is the only thing that matters, if not the signing is an F, but all in all good off-season since the rest of the new boys are playing at or exceeding expectations.
 
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I can see him having decent numbers in Boston for their very structured defensive system in 3rd line physical role which he did last season

when Marner and Matthews were on a rush Marner pulled a quick button hook at the line and matthews was doubled streaking to the net which is what you want and Marner was just sitting there at the blue line waiting for Richie to get into the zone.

he can’t flourish in quick transition. He just physically isn’t able to do so.
 
Gallagbi said:
I think about this clip more often than any human should
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I love Cherry, probably because he paid me a big compliment one time when I met him at my club....He kind of 'purchased' my loyalty forever with that one lol..

But he is almost unintelligible now... posted today that I have checked out his podcast and phew, it was terrible.I truly think the heads of cbc were looking for a way to remove him, plus at same time, its a big feather in cbc's cap, for standing up to racism.. It was a double win for cbc..

Don, himself gets to head out to pasture, under the illusion it was for doing and saying the right thing. According to his philosophies of canadiana.

Both sides win actually...

Who knows in this wild world. Might have been Don, ya gotta go, but since you have been so terrific, you get to retire or go out guns ablazing. Choose door number one or number two.
 
Good game from Ritchie last night. Big hit early on Hutton early on which probably made Hutton hesitant to battle for the puck with Ritchie on the second Leaf goal. Still would like to see him plant his butt in front of the net on PP1 (neither Nylander or JT can or should be doing that).
 
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ToneDog said:
Good game from Ritchie last night. Big hit early on Hutton early on which probably made Hutton hesitant to battle for the puck with Ritchie on the second Leaf goal. Still would like to see him plant his butt in front of the net on PP1 (neither Nylander or JT can or should be doing that).
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May have been his best game of the year last night. Low bar I know but he seemed to have cleared it.
 
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Best game last night. Only took 20 games to figure out he's not a top 6 guy. Keefe is so questionable sometimes.
 
ToneDog said:
Good game from Ritchie last night. Big hit early on Hutton early on which probably made Hutton hesitant to battle for the puck with Ritchie on the second Leaf goal. Still would like to see him plant his butt in front of the net on PP1 (neither Nylander or JT can or should be doing that).
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I oddly believe Ritchie will be of huge use come playoff time. I think he will grind it out, lay the body and be a guy who chips in a big goal. With him, Bunting, Kase and Kampf, it'sca totally different makeup than what the Leafs have had.
 
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shaner89 said:
Best game last night. Only took 20 games to figure out he's not a top 6 guy. Keefe is so questionable sometimes.
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In fairness to Keefe, his GM brought Ritchie in for a specific role. He had to give him every opportunity to fill that role.
 
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Best game of the year for Ritchie last night. He's looked okay the past 2-3 after doing just about nothing the prior 17.

Hopefully a sign of things to come.
 
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