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

[CupcakeSprinkles]

Getting rid of Mikheyev would be a big mistake. Not sure why everyone is so eager for it. Giving time he could recover his scoring touch and the other elements he brings to the game are very important to this team.

Agreed I'd keep Mikheyev atleast for this season and see if he can rebound offensively or show signs. Engvall seems like the candidate now to go bye bye.

 

[Guided by Veseys]

WOWZA!!


*I need to turn on notifications I think.

 

[Nylander88]

Yesssss. I wanted this guy bad.

I think he can do like 75% or Hyman’s job at a fraction of the cost.

We got Kase and Ritchie for less than Foligno.

Great way to look at it. Not only do I think if it were a "trade", Ritchie & Kase are more valuable than Foligno...but factor in the fact we got both for cheaper and it's even better. Other thing being, Ritchie & Kase are both 25yrs old. Foligno is 33. I like this "swap" for us. I'd think Ritchie & Kase get along, three teams in a row where they've been teammates lol

 

[The Podium]

It seems were out to sign every bottom six forward in the league at this point.

Would have been quite content with two of Ritchie, Kase, Bunting, Kamp and a legitimate top six forward.

I'm not out to rain on everyone's parade, if you're happy that's good for you, I'm just not a fan of Dubas seemingly signing seemingly trying to sign every 3rd, 4th liner(or worse) available while not getting a legitimate top six talent to replace Hymans offensive production.

I do like Ritchie though, he is lazy at times and takes too many penalties, but when he wants to play he's definitely solid. Team still needs a legitimate top six guy though and that can only come via trade now.

Once upon a time, 2 years ago to be exact, Zach Hyman was a 26/27 year old 3rd/4th liner that no one wanted in the top 6 either. We also went into last season with Joe Thornton as our top line LW.

Guys like Bunting, Ritchie and Kase are guys that still have potential and can be that legitimate top 6 guy in the right situation. Its a gamble for sure, but lets not pretend like we have had a legit top 6 LW since JVR.

Works IF

Nick Ritchie IN @ $2.5 mil & Ondrej Kase @ $1.25 mil (LTIR) = Ritchie at $1.25 mil cap essentially.

Leafs get Ritchie at 1/2 price if they use Kase LTIR reimbursement money to pay the other 1/2.

Current Cap. July 31st, 2021

PROJECTED CAP HIT

: $82,894,783
PROJECTED LTIR USED

: $1,394,783 (Leafs don't currently have any LTIR contracts in the off season)
PROJECTED CAP SPACE

: $0 ($0)

Toronto Maple Leafs Salary Cap, Draft Picks, and Player Contracts - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Mess how many times does it need to be explained to you that this is not how LTIR works... There is no reimbursement, there is no added cap space.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Don't agree with the comparison at all, Mikheyev is far better than Kapanen defensively and positionally, but can't shoot to save his life whereas Kapanen actually had a decent shot, he just had brutal tunnel vision and couldn't really set up plays.

It sucks seeing Mikheyev blow so many breakaways, trust me I get it, but at least he gets all his breakaways from actually out-working D-Men and beating them through the neutral zone, it would be a different case if he was cheating for offense and still missing so often.

Yes, it wasn't an exact comparison. I've been quoted as saying I could see Kapanen become a 25-30 goal guy.

The point I was making is that they both underperform in goal scoring execution. I haven't even looked at the advanced stats as I don't care enough to. Game in and out, those two really create offense, but too often it ends in nothing.

 

[Tairy Greene]

Don't know much about Ritchie other than he's big and can fight. I'm assuming he plays on our 3rd line. Does he hit? Can he score a bit?

 

[Bluelines]

Even if we moved Engvall, the cap doesn’t work.

One of Kerfoot or Rielly will need to go regardless.

Im not even sure Engvall + Mikheyev being moved ends up working

With Mikhyev and Engvall, and 6 centers we are 80k under the cap.

This means Spez will probably move to wing, down the right side that leaves 1) Marner, 2) Nylander, 3) Kase and 4) Spezza, seems to be to be a decent Right side, if healthy.

Down the middle we have Matthews, Tavares, Kerfoot, Spezza, Engvall, Kampf. Matthews, Tavares are givens. Kerfoot is not a great center but I think he works much better on wing, Spezza is no longer an effective center, Engvall is barely a NHLer, Kampf will be our 4th line center. IMO that leaves a question mark for the 3rd line center. 1) Matthews 2) Tavares 3) Question mark? 4) Kampf

Left side is brutal IMO Ritchie, Bunting, Kerfoot, Simmonds, Mikheyev, Engvall. the easiest to figure out is Simmonds on the 4th line. After that you have Kerfoot, Ritchie and Bunting to compete for the top 2 spots. Assuming we signed Ritchie and Bunting to play top 6 and not to waste away in the Press Box Say 1) Ritchie 2) Bunting 3) Question 4) Simmonds.

The leaves Kerfoot $3.5 million, Mikheyev $1.6 million and Kerfoot $1.25 million, say we get lucky package all three of them, we would gain $6.4 mil in cap space, minus what ever is coming back.

 

[Thornbury]

I'm not a big fan of Ritchie. I'm not sure 2.5M is that great of value but it's pretty fair at the very least. He'll give us 15 goals and plenty of PIMs.

I hope I am proven wrong though and we're definitely better and heavier with him than not.

As a matter of interest, he scored at a 22 goal pace in last year's shortened season.

 

[notbias]

Ritchie can't skate the same as Hyman to do what Hyman did to begin with. Not to even mention the PK and other stuff

What did Hyman do? His influence on the lines he is on is greatly overstated.

Maybe he lost a step with the surgeries, but he is 10th on the Leafs over the last two seasons in takeaways/60.

He does pressure players to move the puck earlier because he is high energy always chasing the puck, but that can be replaced with most high energy players.

I really think his impact is overrated, he is a complementary player who makes lines better, but the xGF% difference between Hyman and Thornton on the Matthews/Marner line was 0.4% and the sample size was > 200 mins each.

 

[OVO16]

Ritchie actually is physically imposing and one mean as mofo.

Having him and Simmonds at the same time on the team will do wonders. Also having Bunting, who sounds like a pain in the ass, will do wonders.

Our roster is better balanced.

 

[The Podium]

Mik has to be one of the most dynamic, non-finishers in the league. Kapanen was the same at times.

They seemed to have the ability to drive themselves into high % goal scoring areas and then the play just ends.

Do they get high scoring areas because they cant score and teams just let them go? Or are they good enough to get there and just not enough to finish?

Don't know much about Ritchie other than he's big and can fight. I'm assuming he plays on our 3rd line. Does he hit? Can he score a bit?

Big boy who plays physical and can provide middle 6 production, but is often lazy and disinterested.

 

[Dreakmur]

Don't know much about Ritchie other than he's big and can fight. I'm assuming he plays on our 3rd line. Does he hit? Can he score a bit?

He’s big and can fight. He’s good in traffic and has good hands, but he’s pretty useless in open ice.

I’d put him with Marner and Tavares. He can bury the chances Marner gives him, and he can keep the flies off Marner.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Great way to look at it. Not only do I think if it were a "trade", Ritchie & Kase are more valuable than Foligno...but factor in the fact we got both for cheaper and it's even better. Other thing being, Ritchie & Kase are both 25yrs old. Foligno is 33. I like this "swap" for us. I'd think Ritchie & Kase get along, three teams in a row where they've been teammates lol

Kase may not even play. It's a risk Leafs were willing to take because if the guy returned to 80% of what he can do, Leafs are way ahead on the deal and at the very least have solid depth.

 

[egd27]

Has this been confirmed by anything other that what Friedman is "hearing"?

 

[notbias]

Has this been confirmed by anything other that what Friedman is "hearing"?

The Leafs tweeted it

 

[The Podium]

The meat heads around here make me laugh.

Yesterday was doom and gloom with no solution and Dubas should be gone asap and the team has no hope.

Now everyone is happy because we signed Nicky Ritchie

 

[Leafsfan74]

Do they get high scoring areas because they cant score and teams just let them go? Or are they good enough to get there and just not enough to finish?



Big boy who plays physical and can provide middle 6 production, but is often lazy and disinterested.

Well that's one way of looking at it, lol. I'm sure Mik would disagree.

 

[SprDaVE]

Has this been confirmed by anything other that what Friedman is "hearing"?

 

[PromisedLand]

What did Hyman do? His influence on the lines he is on is greatly overstated.

Maybe he lost a step with the surgeries, but he is 10th on the Leafs over the last two seasons in takeaways/60.

He does pressure players to move the puck earlier because he is high energy always chasing the puck, but that can be replaced with most high energy players.

I really think his impact is overrated, he is a complementary player who makes lines better, but the xGF% difference between Hyman and Thornton on the Matthews/Marner line was 0.4% and the sample size was > 200 mins each.

You will soon find out. As people were bitching and moaning to take Thornton and Vesey off of that Matthews line I wonder if you still defend Ritchie there after a few games.

Wanna do a bet?

 

[Bluelines]

Nick Ritchie • #21 • LW
Status : Unrestricted free agent
Ht/Wt:6'2", 230 lbs.
Born : Dec 5, 1995 (25 yrs) in Orangeville, Ont.
Experience : 6 years
Drafted : Drafted by Anaheim in 2014 (1/10).
Shoots: L

Nick Ritchie Stats, Profile, Bio, Analysis and More | | The Sports Forecaster

SCOUTING REPORT

A prototypical power forward, he is a throwback who plays a tough, honest game. Can score goals and be a factor as a top-six winger, but he is also a tough customer willing to protect teammates. Power forwards used to rule the NHL, but they are rare in today's game so can Ritchie make the necessary adjustments in the pros? Also, can he score enough to become a true power forward?

Long Range Potential : Prototypical power forward with upside.

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

I love the power forward game, something about a guy who can physically dominate another player, gives me the warm fuzzy feeling.

I would love to have another top 6 power forward down the LW but we are probably meeting our cap limits. I've read articles that say Bunting is a Brad Marchand lite, which considering how good Marchand is.. that might be as good as a power forward.

 

[TOGuy14]

Mik has to be one of the most dynamic, non-finishers in the league. Kapanen was the same at times.

They seemed to have the ability to drive themselves into high % goal scoring areas and then the play just ends.

Mik seemed to have at least ok finishing prior to his wrist injury but since then he has been bad on that front.

 

[Muston Atthews]

Such a welcomed addition

 

[zeke]

Solid middle six winger. He's not the physical force that people expect, so a lot of people will end up hating him and calling him dumb and lazy, but he's actually a solid player overall.

I like that all of Ritchie, Bunting, Kase, Kampf are just coming off their age 25 seasons entering their age 26 seasons. That's the right age for free agents.

Roster is full now - I wouldn't be surprised to see us make a trade now though.

 

[Duffman955]

Don't know much about Ritchie other than he's big and can fight. I'm assuming he plays on our 3rd line. Does he hit? Can he score a bit?

Talented imposing powerforward. Has the skills and physical tools to be dominant

Lacks consistency

Currently a 0.5 ppg player. Could easily see that rise

 

[Mess]

Yesssss. I wanted this guy bad.

I think he can do like 75% or Hyman’s job at a fraction of the cost.

We got Kase and Ritchie for less than Foligno.

Couple of interesting points.

Hyman was making $2.25 ml and Ritchie is making $2.5 mil to replace him so essentially we're hoping Ritchie does replace Hyman for the same cost.

Boston had Ritchie ($1.5 mil) RFA & Kase @ ($2.6 mil) RFA = [$4.1 mil combined] & decided to give neither RFA a qualifying offer and instead sign Nick Foligno for $3.8 mil AAV instead.

Toronto had Nick Foligno and decided not to give him $3.8 mil, but instead chose to sign Ritchie for $2.5 mil and Kase for $1.25 mil = [$3.75 mil AAV]