I know a large majority of this sub wants us to go all in and trade picks/prospects/whatever to help this group win. And while I would normally agree, I want us all to consider names like Jake Guentzel and, to a lesser extent, Teuvo Teravainen. Guys who were drafted by their respective teams and provided an immediate impact as rookies during both the Penguins and Blackhawks championship runs. Guentzel was drafted late by the Pens, and I’m not saying that Ritchie will be as good as Guentzel but want to note the importance of having rookies/young guys who can perform during cup windows.
The Avs are cap constrained, and one of the best ways to improve the roster under these circumstances is to develop and play young talent. MacFarland made a gamble on Ritchie, who was a polarizing player leading up to the draft. His draft position was anywhere from being a lottery pick to early second round last year because teams were concerned about consistency issues and how he would look after shoulder surgery. Well, post-surgery he is one of the best players in the OHL averaging an impressive 1.679 ppg with 47 points in 28 games played. He’s looking like that top-10 talent that he potentially projected to be and continues to improve. From what I’ve seen in his highlights, he has a great two-way game that’s based on both high skill and utilizing his size when necessary. He’s excellent at retrieving and protecting the puck down low and creating coming off the wall. He’s also really good with the puck in transition and creating pressure to help open up passing lanes. The names I’ve heard thrown around in comparison to him are Boone Jenner and Ryan O’Reilly, two players we’ve talked about as potential guys we wanted the Avs to target in recent years. Ritchie plays the game in a way that I think is more conducive to the Avs needs at centre, at least when compared to someone like Newhook. I also think that Bednar would be more tolerant of the growing pains associated with giving a rookie ice time for this reason as well. And this isn’t a knock against Newhook, it’s just more that I think last season showed that his playstyle wasn’t a match for what the Avs are trying to do going forward.
I understand Ritchie is still just a prospect, but he’s an example of how the Avs could solve at least some of their mid-term roster holes with internal solutions instead of always looking towards free agency or trades.
tnick771
His statistics are ridiculous. Glad they took a gamble in him. Could pay off if he stays healthy.
4 Comments
Yeah he’s our best prospect rn
I know a large majority of this sub wants us to go all in and trade picks/prospects/whatever to help this group win. And while I would normally agree, I want us all to consider names like Jake Guentzel and, to a lesser extent, Teuvo Teravainen. Guys who were drafted by their respective teams and provided an immediate impact as rookies during both the Penguins and Blackhawks championship runs. Guentzel was drafted late by the Pens, and I’m not saying that Ritchie will be as good as Guentzel but want to note the importance of having rookies/young guys who can perform during cup windows.
The Avs are cap constrained, and one of the best ways to improve the roster under these circumstances is to develop and play young talent. MacFarland made a gamble on Ritchie, who was a polarizing player leading up to the draft. His draft position was anywhere from being a lottery pick to early second round last year because teams were concerned about consistency issues and how he would look after shoulder surgery. Well, post-surgery he is one of the best players in the OHL averaging an impressive 1.679 ppg with 47 points in 28 games played. He’s looking like that top-10 talent that he potentially projected to be and continues to improve. From what I’ve seen in his highlights, he has a great two-way game that’s based on both high skill and utilizing his size when necessary. He’s excellent at retrieving and protecting the puck down low and creating coming off the wall. He’s also really good with the puck in transition and creating pressure to help open up passing lanes. The names I’ve heard thrown around in comparison to him are Boone Jenner and Ryan O’Reilly, two players we’ve talked about as potential guys we wanted the Avs to target in recent years. Ritchie plays the game in a way that I think is more conducive to the Avs needs at centre, at least when compared to someone like Newhook. I also think that Bednar would be more tolerant of the growing pains associated with giving a rookie ice time for this reason as well. And this isn’t a knock against Newhook, it’s just more that I think last season showed that his playstyle wasn’t a match for what the Avs are trying to do going forward.
I understand Ritchie is still just a prospect, but he’s an example of how the Avs could solve at least some of their mid-term roster holes with internal solutions instead of always looking towards free agency or trades.
His statistics are ridiculous. Glad they took a gamble in him. Could pay off if he stays healthy.
DONT TRADE HIM.