Nick Ritchie in Toronto

[Havoc]

This is a failed experiment. Time to move on and take the loss.

He's our best screen option and it actually has resulted in about 4 goals. Almost 5 with Simmonds shot that went off the bar.

If your failed experiment is still best at something, I'd say you're a deep team. All this complaining about cap, then when we actually get depth in the bottom 6 we trade it away?

Believe it or not, even though it's frustrating watching him fail to hit his ceiling, he's still the best package of hits and hands and body presence at that age you'll get for 2.5 mil.

 

[kb]

He's our best screen option and it actually has resulted in about 4 goals. Almost 5 with Simmonds shot that went off the bar.

If your failed experiment is still best at something, I'd say you're a deep team. All this complaining about cap, then when we actually get depth in the bottom 6 we trade it away?

Believe it or not, even though it's frustrating watching him fail to hit his ceiling, he's still the best package of hits and hands and body presence at that age you'll get for 2.5 mil.

I actually haven't minded his play. Only the 'newspaper statisticians', and the ones clinging to hope that the GM will get fired for ruining this team are the only ones who really want him gone.

 

[NMacrules]

He's our best screen option and it actually has resulted in about 4 goals. Almost 5 with Simmonds shot that went off the bar.

If your failed experiment is still best at something, I'd say you're a deep team. All this complaining about cap, then when we actually get depth in the bottom 6 we trade it away?

Believe it or not, even though it's frustrating watching him fail to hit his ceiling, he's still the best package of hits and hands and body presence at that age you'll get for 2.5 mil.

I would argue that any production caused by his ineptitude would be doubled by a guy like Robertson or Clifford. Ritchie is too slow for this team. Leafs are high octane and he is turtle octane.

 

[kb]

The same people who blasted the GM for not having enough toughness are now blasting him for signing toughness for a team currently on a 14-2 run and giving up just over a goal a game over their last 8-10 games.

 

[Notsince67]

20 games 0 goals they need to find somebody to take his spot.

There is time but messing with team chemistry right now is a bit of a boneheaded move. What doesnt kill you makes you stronger. Let the team carry him if they can. As long as they win, I'm happy

 

[TMLAM34]

It’s also not just Ritchie providing the toughness. Bunting, Kampf, Kase have all pitched in on top of our regulars in Kerfoot and Simmonds up front.

If there’s a position I’d like us to improve on, it’s that number 4 spot on the blue line. Rielly and Brodie are fine together, Sandin and Liljegren have worked great as well so improving on Dermott/Holl to go along with Muzzin would really put us over the top.

 

[fahad203]

I am not going to complain about his lack of production, not yet.
Others have picked up

I mean he has scored in this league so those hands are still there
We should keep him in the back pocket. He hasn't been a total liability and he's 6'3 everyday (as Babcock would say)

Comparing to Petan, Malgin, Moore, Aamadio, Brooks, Boyd, Vesey. I'll take Ritchie. At least Ritchie will drop the gloves once in a while and throw a hit

 

[Cecithepylon]

I used to be more down to get rid of Ritchie but now I think we should keep him. Just keep the locker room intact

 

[meefer]

You could look at the underlying metrics of this team over that period - I mean if that isn't too much work for you....

Everyone brings something to the team, and everyone is failing at things. Now there is a news flash.

Is this newsworthy? if the Leafs don't want to dump him and are dominating.....getting rid of him it reeks of "I gotta do something - ANYTHING" because they are not used to seeing a Leaf team with no weakness. And no, he's not a weakness. If he was, he'd be in the pressbox because we have replacements.

The truly dense can't see the obvious.

Yes, of course, you use the team's success to support the player. Are you seriously suggesting that Ritchie has been the player (to date) that the organization had hoped they'd signed? Come on, don't be obtuse. And if you're intent on suggesting my work effort is lacking, get off your high horse and look at his metrics, if that isn't too much work for you.

 

[zeke]

I used to be more down to get rid of Ritchie but now I think we should keep him. Just keep the locker room intact

It's kind of interesting because yeah he hasn't provided any of the scoring that we expected but he still somehow seems like an ok fit so far. It helps that it seem like he's almost Lucic-like in his fighting presence - i.e. a guy that nobody wants to fight, even the tough guys.

 

[meefer]

It's kind of interesting because yeah he hasn't provided any of the scoring that we expected but he still somehow seems like an ok fit so far. It helps that it seem like he's almost Lucic-like in his fighting presence - i.e. a guy that nobody wants to fight, even the tough guys.

My hope is that he's soon able to break the shneid and offer both the physical and the scoring his contract warrants.

 

[TheGreatOne11]

I used to be more down to get rid of Ritchie but now I think we should keep him. Just keep the locker room intact

And do NOT add Kane lol.

Ritchies play seems to be getting better as the season goes on, I still think he's a playoff signing though, he will step up his game to another level come post season, and by that I don't mean scoring like Gretzky, I mean creating space for the boys to play and score and unleashing his demons onto the opposing team.

 

[SprDaVE]

Alright, give him the key to the city

 

[Antropovsky]

Alright, give him the key to the city

so i guess they werent friends when they were teammates.

awesome nonetheless

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Alright, give him the key to the city

His cap hit is worth it now.

 

[seanlinden]

Part of me believes that Ritchie could go the entire season without scoring a goal, and that wouldn't really "phase" Dubas / Keefe.

Ultimately, while I'm sure they would like to see him score 15-20 while bouncing between the top 6 and 3rd line; I think the reality is that they brought him in for one reason, and one reason only -- to level the playing field against a team that might have a big defensive group like Montreal did.

To win a cup, you obviously have to be good, but your game also has to be adaptable. The Leafs ran away with the division last year based on solid, regimented, defensive play, and capitalizing on the counterattack.

Montreal's approach was basically to sit back, clog up the middle of the ice, and force our undersized forwards to try and break through. When it's Zach Hyman, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Alex Kerfoot doing that, against a group of guys who weigh 230, 210, 234, and 224; they're going to be substantially over-matched in doing so.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

Alright, give him the key to the city

Attaboy. Maybe he could learn to do low-key pestering like this without taking so many stupid penalties.

By the way, Ritchie's on-ice shooting % is a whopping 2.3%, tied for worst in the league with Jay Beagle (there are players with strictly lower values and indeed exactly zero, but none with 15+GP or close to as much TOI). He basically kills offense any line he plays on.

 

[ACC1224]

Attaboy. Maybe he could learn to do low-key pestering like this without taking so many stupid penalties.

By the way, Ritchie's on-ice shooting % is a whopping 2.3%, tied for worst in the league with Jay Beagle (there are players with strictly lower values and indeed exactly zero, but none with 15+GP or close to as much TOI). He basically kills offense any line he plays on.

If he hasn't scored wouldn't his shooting percent be 0%?

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

If he hasn't scored wouldn't his shooting percent be 0%?

It's on-ice shooting %, including his teammates. Hardly anybody scores with him on the ice at 5v5.

 

[ACC1224]

It's on-ice shooting %, including his teammates. Hardly anybody scores with him on the ice at 5v5.

Thanks. I can close my laptop now, learned my new thing for the day!

 

[Niagara Bill]

At the rusk of becoming too attached, his upside looks to be so high, fir me 15 more games and time to move on. It looks like teams that fall in love with Lucic.
He most often disappoints.
So half a season is more than enough try out for NR.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Watch Ritchie break his goal-scoring drought against Colorado of all teams.

 

[Leafsfan74]

He has a role. As long as the team is winning and he is involved, physically or otherwise, he's playing his part.

His cap hit is.$2.5M, a very good living, but far less than many other players.

If he remains positive, is a team player and contributes, in particularly in the playoffs (that's ultimately all that matters this year obviously), then the personal goals metric isn't as important as some might promote.

 

[Sean Garrity]

Always hated the dumb "O" look on his face during games, he just looks like a big dumb goof on the ice. He has hands, knows where to go and can be physically dominant. I thought he was very good against the Ducks, wishing him all the best! If he could ever "figure it out" he'd be a real force, but now it's more that he just needs to figure out his role as a top 6 players is likely a pipedream for him at this point.

Side note, went to a Ducks v Leafs game two years ago at Scotiabank in full Ducks gear with my gf and every Leaf's fan was a class act, even apologizing for the Ducks being so bad (at the time we were really bad) and one fan bought us a round of beers at the little live band thing that takes place pregame. Same experience when Leafs' fans took over the Pond on Monday. I've had many tell me it's cheaper to fly to Anaheim, go to Disneyland and both the Kings/Ducks games v the Leafs than one game in the lower bowl. So, kudos because I think a lot of times you guys as a fanbase get a bad rap.

 

[ACC1224]

Always hated the dumb "O" look on his face during games, he just looks like a big dumb goof on the ice. He has hands, knows where to go and can be physically dominant. I thought he was very good against the Ducks, wishing him all the best! If he could ever "figure it out" he'd be a real force, but now it's more that he just needs to figure out his role as a top 6 players is likely a pipedream for him at this point.

Side note, went to a Ducks v Leafs game two years ago at Scotiabank in full Ducks gear with my gf and every Leaf's fan was a class act, even apologizing for the Ducks being so bad (at the time we were really bad) and one fan bought us a round of beers at the little live band thing that takes place pregame. Same experience when Leafs' fans took over the Pond on Monday. I've had many tell me it's cheaper to fly to Anaheim, go to Disneyland and both the Kings/Ducks games v the Leafs than one game in the lower bowl. So, kudos because I think a lot of times you guys as a fanbase get a bad rap.

Yeah that's not even close to true. Only people who make those claims don't actually go to games.