Confirmed with Link: Nick Ritchie to Toronto (2x2.5M AAV)

[Garthinater]

This. I thought this fan base was almost 100% in agreement that Hyman improved a lot from year to year and the last few years, he's been just fantastic for us. I have to say I'm a bit surprised at how many people now seem to think that he will easily be replaced.

Dubas can do no wrong.

The fact kyle let hyman go for nothing means Zach isn't that good of a player. Very simple.

 

[TimeZone]

Eh... Hyman is from another level.
This guy is slow, stone hands, takes stupid penalties, and he fanishes way to often...

He did score from PP last season but there were luck involved fanishes after that. Oh. He took stupid penalties though.

Second bad from Dubas in a row.

Analytics suggest he wasn't lucky and he's a solid third line winger. It's not a bad signing in the general sense, it's bad because we needed a top six winger and we didn't get it.

As you said, he's nowhere near the level of Hyman and despite his decent finishing ability he vanishes and only plays when he feels like it.

 

[Anthrax442]

I just now saw that he played in Soo

 

[Cpt Maple Leaf]

He's got some legal issues, we don't need the drama.

I will take all the trash if they can play. The Raiders won super bowls....

 

[ULF_55]

Of course he will be replaced, every player who leaves gets replaced and of course there are no guarantees. All I'm saying is there is zero reason to think that this team as it stands now is better then last year's team.

I wasn't high on last year's team.

So you see I think this team might be better.

Last year's team was a mirage, and Hyman was part of the mirage.

 

[Havoc]

This. I thought this fan base was almost 100% in agreement that Hyman improved a lot from year to year and the last few years, he's been just fantastic for us. I have to say I'm a bit surprised at how many people now seem to think that he will easily be replaced.

I think the easily replaced has more to do with the playoffs. His body has failed to hold up and he's not getting any younger. You can argue the injury this year was more of a fluke but at the same time his style of play puts him in situations to get hit all the time.

The season will be 82 games again as well no? The odds of him translating his regular season play decrease every year. To win the cup he has to last 4 rounds as well. I think we forget the playoffs isn't one round because we never get past round 1. We finally get over the hump...still 3 rounds to go.

Based on the last 3 years I would be hesitant betting on Hymans body holding up for a stanley cup grind. I'd only feel confident if he was on a team deep enough where he's a third liner on the depth chart and thus can conserve himself.....but such a team doesn't exist in a cap world.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

We have Hyman at home

 

[conFABulator]

Analytics suggest he wasn't lucky and he's a solid third line winger. It's not a bad signing in the general sense, it's bad because we needed a top six winger and we didn't get it.

As you said, he's nowhere near the level of Hyman and despite his decent finishing ability he vanishes and only plays when he feels like it.

Sometimes I think this "Top Line" vs "Middle Six" labeling gets a little bit hard to keep track of.

A top line winger would mean they rank in the top 32 in the league (by points, impact, etc).

Ice time and line mates have alot to do with these designations and it becomes cause and effect. Last year Ritchie finished 33rd in goals and 46th in points for LW. So he is Top 6 by both measures.

However, he wasn't on the Perfection Line in Boston...but what if he played with Matthews and Marner, or Tavares and Nylander here...we don't see his numbers ticking up? Like say, Hyman's did?

I am not saying Ritchie is Top Line or Top 6...what I am saying is that we need 2 wingers that round out our Core 4. Ritchie, Kerfoot, Robertson, Bunting, Kase and Mikheyev give us enough viable options once we see who has chemistry with each other.

When you have the Core 4 we do, you don't worry about needing a Core 6... you expect the boys getting the big bucks bring others a long with them

 

[TDotMassive]

Its unfortunate Kadri long term didnt work out, because him Ritchie and Mikhayev would be a nice third line

I loved Kadri but he hurt the team at key times and did the same stupid thing again in Colorado

 

[Clark4Ever]

This. I thought this fan base was almost 100% in agreement that Hyman improved a lot from year to year and the last few years, he's been just fantastic for us. I have to say I'm a bit surprised at how many people now seem to think that he will easily be replaced.

While that is true, Hyman has also had 2 major knee injuries in the last couple of years, and players like him generally don't age well in the NHL to begin with. I genuinely think that we got the best years out of him.

I have no doubt he'll put up points riding shotgun with the best player in the world, but he was not worth the contract he signed, at least not with our team.

Is he easily replaceable? No. But it's not nearly as difficult as some people think either. We have seen inferior players to Hyman ride shotgun with Matthews and Marner and they didn't miss a beat.

I predict that if Ritchie gets a shot on the top line, he'll easily match Hyman's offensive production, if not exceed it.

 

[Torontonian]

Dubas can do no wrong.

The fact kyle let hyman go for nothing means Zach isn't that good of a player. Very simple.

Nope, just history has showed us when you pay players like Hyman, Ladd, Clarkson, Lucic big money it comes back to bite you in the ass. Any logical fan can see that. Players like that slow down and the game gets faster and they are no longer worth their value two to three years later.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

This. I thought this fan base was almost 100% in agreement that Hyman improved a lot from year to year and the last few years, he's been just fantastic for us. I have to say I'm a bit surprised at how many people now seem to think that he will easily be replaced.

I actually disagree.

We always considered Hyman great "at that cap hit". We liked his work ethic of course, but it was more that he was amazing bang for you buck.

And the leafs have so few "bang for your buck" players who overplay their cap hit, and that made him appear better than he really was.

He's no longer at a good "bang for your buck" contract already at year 1, let alone year 8.

I'd rather actually have Ritchie at 2.5x2 than Hyman at 5.5 even on a short term contrat.

 

[crump]

Dubas can do no wrong.

The fact kyle let hyman go for nothing means Zach isn't that good of a player. Very simple.

You’re right. Hyman did improve. He is an elite fore checker and developed his knack around the net. He was always a scorer in college. He just finally adjusted and translated it to the NHL. He will be hard to replace. He came back too soon from that leg injury and his knees have a lot of miles on them, and that contract...just wasn’t going to happen with us. People seem to need to ease the pain of loosing a key piece by trying to devalue him. But let’s not mince words here, that top four core are even more hard to replace so the choice is easy.

 

[rocketman588]

I just now saw that he played in Soo

Lol god.

I mean he's a solid pick up but I would love for us to stop picking up guys from the same junior team that also never won anything

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

He was top 6 in Boston last year and had a good year. Boston spreads it around and are pretty stingy on icetime and he was 5th in forwards icetime 15:22 but no Boston forward had 19:00 per game average.
He could have a career year and will help the team big time. I wager he out scores Hyman if anyone wants to take that bet

Anyone taking the other side of that bet would be silly IMO. Hyman works well on a cycling line by digging for loose pucks and circling around waiting to get it back to AM or MM. McDavid is much more of a rush scorer...how many times have we seen Hyman score off the rush compared to the cycle? Hardly ever....so I don't think he will just automatically replicate what he did with our top line while in Edmonton.

I would bet Ritchie scores the same if not more than Hyman if he plays with AM and MM.

 

[saltming]

While that is true, Hyman has also had 2 major knee injuries in the last couple of years, and players like him generally don't age well in the NHL to begin with. I genuinely think that we got the best years out of him.

I have no doubt he'll put up points riding shotgun with the best player in the world, but he was not worth the contract he signed, at least not with our team.

Is he easily replaceable? No. But it's not nearly as difficult as some people think either. We have seen inferior players to Hyman ride shotgun with Matthews and Marner and they didn't miss a beat.

I predict that if Ritchie gets a shot on the top line, he'll easily match Hyman's offensive production, if not exceed it.

I wouldn't say easily match or better, but he sure has what it takes to do it.
As a huge Hyman fan and one that's been supportive of Hyman since the Marlies days, I don't see the similarity in the players other than they are tough along the boards. Ritchie is what a large part of the vocal HF posters have been asking for and he can skate and does have a good hockey iq.

Big, bruising and intimidating winger…
The premier power forward in this draft and one of the toughest fighters in the OHL…
“I think he’s going to be a prototypical power forward along the lines of a Milan Lucic. Ritchie does a lot of things people may not know about. I don’t think it’s well known just how tough he is, and when you add his skill and offensive ability, he’s someone who can do it all.”- Hull

If he buys into our sports science conditioning and our skills coaching, he could become a prime Lucic imo

 

[saltming]

We are now intimidating

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

Well good thing real life doesn't work the same as Xbox. I think you're looking at the "deck" as a bunch of interchangeable ratings when it's much more complicated than that.

Leafs are 1-2 guys away that give more value than their contract + core clicking + no injuries from making a deep run.

Signing guys with upside who are hitting their prime is a very good route to take when you already have pieces other teams are dying to have.

I think for the first time we are getting some guys that have a really high upside compared to the previous UFA additions we made. How good do you think a Vesey or Simmonds or a Barabanov going to be exactly? The chances that they had a higher chance of scoring compared to Ritchie, Kase and Bunting IMO is very low.

People complained that we couldn't sign Goodrow and Coleman because they got too expensive. They were correct on that...so lets find them BEFORE they break out for a change instead of trying to catch the lightning after it leaves the bottle. It means some gambling but these are all cheap 2yr deals that are not going to kill you if they fail.

I hate Dubas as much as the next hater...but I have to tip my hat to him this offseason. I think so far he has done exactly what he needed to do with the space he had left without making a stupid trade in desperation.

 

[Menzinger]

Hyman was a great soldier for the team, but I doubt the top six production will be impacted one bit by his absence. Matthews won the Rocket playing a bunch of 5v5 minutes with Thornton this season.

Having Ritchie,, Bunting or Kerfoot (or a mystery players still to be traded for?) Among the consistent LWers on the top two lines will likely see excellent returns on production from those lines

I seen Hyman attempting to play while still injured.

A healthy Hyman is a better player than any individual we signed this offseason, this isn't indisputable.

Problem is two years in row Hyman hasn't been healthy come playoff time. Even having him under contract isn't a guarantee that he's able to play at that level

 

[Gallagbi]

Hyman was a great soldier for the team, but I doubt the top six production will be impacted one bit by his absence. Matthews won the Rocket playing a bunch of 5v5 minutes with Thornton this season.

Having Ritchie,, Bunting or Kerfoot (or a mystery players still to be traded for?) Among the consistent LWers on the top two lines will likely see excellent returns on production from those lines



Problem is two years in row Hyman hasn't been healthy come playoff time. Even having him under contract isn't a guarantee that he's able to play at that level

2/3 I believe. He should have been healthy vs. clb and seemed fined.

Hyman is a great player who we'll miss, but I wouldn't want him on that deal. The other piece is everyone kmows our issues have been in the post season and he wasn't very productive for us this year.

 

[Duffman955]

Ppl are making Hyman out to be some sort of incredible player.

He was a 3rd liner riding coattails and getting goals on empty nets

Ritchie has a far better offensive toolkit than Hyman. Especially far better hands

 

[Menzinger]

2/3 I believe. He should have been healthy vs. clb and seemed fined.

Hyman is a great player who we'll miss, but I wouldn't want him on that deal. The other piece is everyone kmows our issues have been in the post season and he wasn't very productive for us this year.

I thought he looked off his game during the Jackets series. He got some points at least, but seemed like he wasn't operating at 100%

 

[Aus34Matt]

Everybody happy now?

Seriously, I’ll be happy only when they get past the first round.

 

[Bluelines]

I will take all the trash if they can play. The Raiders won super bowls....

Wasn't Jim Plunkett the QB the last time the Raiders won the SB?

 

[Mugzy97]

Agreed, all the rest is simply “Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,” as the core 4 combined cap hits is the Iceberg and there is no way around it.

Every year as more and more player contracts come up and are due the middle is cut out and new deck chairs at cheaper prices are brought in as the next season sets sail.

Rinse and repeat... This year its Ritchie, Bunting, Kämpf, Gabriel, Menell, Kase, Mrazek IN and Hyman, Foligno, Galchenyuk, Thornton and Bogosian, Andersen out.

Last year it was Spezza, Simmonds, Thornton, TJ Brodie, Bogisian, Kerfoot, Clifford IN and Kapanen, Johnsson, Kadri, Moore Barrie, Ceci, Out.

Every year Leafs are tinkering around the edges trying to find cheaper contracts to replace the departed contracts which no longer fit under the cap in an effort to find that magic combination to surround the core 4 that those big 4 will carry the team to success.

This year we get to see what Ritchie, Bunting playing alongside the core 4 in the top 6 can achieve, but mostly come playoff time will it be the missing pieces to secure playoff round advancement?.

I’m sure if you were GM you would trade the core 4 and win the cup the following year