Confirmed with Link: Brett Ritchie a Bruin

[Alicat]

At $1 mil it's not bad.

Wonder if he's part of a larger move tho...

 

[Bruinfanatic]

Are you guys really complaining over a 1 million dollar acciari replacement?

Log off the computer and go get some fresh air.

Donny took a cheap flier on a former top prospect. If it doesn't work out then who cares. I'd rather this than acciari at 1.6.

Yeah he has some size,and may score a few more goals than Acciari comes cheaper.I don’t really see much to complain about,if he doesn’t work he goes to Providence to play.

 

[UncleRico]

Don Sweeney has said he wanted to bring in a depth player to create competition. Players battling for a roster spot should mean a better product on the ice rather than players becoming complacent thinking they’ll automatically have a spot.

There’s already a ton of competition for fourth line spots.

Kuraly
Wagner
Nordstrom
Backes
Kuhlman
Ritchie

And that’s just roster players. Not even including guys in providence that will be competing for roles like fitzgerald, senyshyn, cehlarik etc.

 

[LSCII]

At 1 M would you take him?

Connolly's cap hit is $3.25, so what are you trying to say? That Brett Ritchie is similar and we can expect 22 goals from him? I don't see that, but my expectations are that he'll be a good physical player on the 4th line.

 

[GloveSave1]

Not in a bubble, but with all of the bodies at the bottom of the roster, I hate this deal.

Yeah, it always seemed like the decision was Acciari or Nordstrom. Then they promptly spend to replace Acciari.

I guess they feel they have to replace the physical presence...I can’t really complain about that, I suppose.

I just wish DS took on bigger issues. So much “well, they can’t move Backes.” Well, some GMs just make the decision it’s going to happen and do it. It’s really about not being willing to accept the difficult aspects of moving him - taking our medicine.

To me, losing a good young player (like Heinen, sign and trade) or buying out the contract is less painful than keeping Backes around. One of the hardest jobs of a GM is recognizing huge mistakes/unacceptable problems and doing what has to be done to address them.

I’m very disappointed DS is accepting our current predicament and letting it guide our course.

 

[LSCII]

redundant to who?

Are you suggesting they don't have a lot of bottom 6 grinder types already in the system? If anything, I'd say that have that kind of player in spades on the NHL and AHL roster...

 

[LSCII]

There’s already a ton of competition for fourth line spots.

Kuraly
Wagner
Nordstrom
Backes
Kuhlman
Ritchie

And that’s just roster players. Not even including guys in providence that will be competing for roles like fitzgerald, senyshyn, cehlarik etc.

Exactly. No issue with them signing Ritchie for short money, but like I said earlier, it seems a bit unnecessary.

 

[TCB]

Exactly. No issue with them signing Ritchie for short money, but like I said earlier, it seems a bit unnecessary.

I wouldn't say unnecessary. Ritchie can handle himself with some of the heavyweights around the league and the Bruins didn't have that a year ago. He can also play the game and Id rather see him sitting in the box for 5 minutes with a Wilson than I would Chara. Add on too that Wilson will know that Ritchie will be more than willing to go, so he'll have to answer the piper and it won't be easy.

 

[GloveSave1]

This might have something to do with his signing

...ahh, makes sense.

 

[bb_fan]

Are you suggesting they don't have a lot of bottom 6 grinder types already in the system? If anything, I'd say that have that kind of player in spades on the NHL and AHL roster...

so who do they have in the system that is a big body physical player that sticks up for teammates?

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

Exactly. No issue with them signing Ritchie for short money, but like I said earlier, it seems a bit unnecessary.

Let’s go add Lehner for $2.5M

I know we don’t need him, but we’d have the best three goaltender rotation in the NHL. And what if someone got hurt? And you can’t argue with the value at those dollars!

 

[TCB]

Let’s go add Lehner for $2.5M

I know we don’t need him, but we’d have the best three goaltender rotation in the NHL. And what if someone got hurt? And you can’t argue with the value at those dollars!

This^

Makes me hope Boston does something constructive quickly, please move Backes soon

 

[PlayMakers]

I don’t think the Bruins see guys like Kuhlman, Cehlarik and Frederic as options for the 4th line. Cassidy doesn’t really use his 4th line as a spot for on the job training either. If a guy projects as a middle6 winger they keep him in the AHL until he’s ready to play as a middle6 winger in the NHL. Kuhlman stepped into the 2nd line, so did Cehlarik. Bjork stepped into the first line. Frederic and JFK saw 3rd line duty as rookies...

The only kid that I think should be in the mix for a 4th line spot is Blidh.

 

[wintersej]

I'm with AOF on this one. There's a chance, however slim, that Ritchie could be a late bloomer.

He was drafted with the expectation that he'd be a top6 guy. He put up big numbers in Jr. He made the Canadian WJC team and put up points. He stepped into the AHL and immediately put up good numbers, the kind of numbers, in those first and second seasons, that suggest he's going to become a top6 forward. It wasn't until he got to the NHL that he stopped scoring. He's really only been used as a 4th liner, at least in terms of minutes, and he's scored like a 4th liner in that role.

So I'm okay with this one. Admittedly, the chances of him becoming the next Knuble or Connolly are slim, but his pedigree makes me think it's not impossible, and since it is practically no risk I don't really see a downside to the experiment.

Bingo. Worse case scenario you waive him and lose 100k off the cap. He is big and shoots first. Ryan Spooner was productive on Krejci's right wing ... maybe Ritchie can be. His IQ is lacking... but if Krejci is doing all the thinking and Ritchie is just heading to the net... who knows? Chances are he is on the 4th line or 13th floor in December... by why not?

 

[PB37]

Hopefully, he's not Jimmy Hayes part 2.

There's some things to like about Richie. Let's see if he can put it together.

 

[22Brad Park]

Like his size nd he can skate.Should help.

 

[CharaBadSenyshynGawd]

Can’t understand people saying we have too many bottom 6 forwards.

If we could have played our 3rd and crippled 4th line 60 minutes a game we probably win the cup last year.

 

[Rumpy]

Connolly's cap hit is $3.25, so what are you trying to say? That Brett Ritchie is similar and we can expect 22 goals from him? I don't see that, but my expectations are that he'll be a good physical player on the 4th line.

He scored 16 once ...

He was free to sign and has more offensive potential to move up the line up than Nordstrom Wagner Accari etc ...

So yes for 1 M it’s worth a shot and definitely not worth complaining about.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

I don’t think the Bruins see guys like Kuhlman, Cehlarik and Frederic as options for the 4th line. Cassidy doesn’t really use his 4th line as a spot for on the job training either. If a guy projects as a middle6 winger they keep him in the AHL until he’s ready to play as a middle6 winger in the NHL. Kuhlman stepped into the 2nd line, so did Cehlarik. Bjork stepped into the first line. Frederic and JFK saw 3rd line duty as rookies...

The only kid that I think should be in the mix for a 4th line spot is Blidh.

If they don't see Kuhlman in the mix for a fourth line spot, I may suggest a new prescription.

 

[DKH]

The part I like is he’s the one guy I’ve heard of other then the goalie Manny Legace

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

The part I like is he’s the one guy I’ve heard of other then the goalie Manny Legace

 

[McGarnagle]

I hope this is for Providence, because he's not good.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

Why would they willingly downgrade?

Is Acciari+Nordstrom return better than Nordstrom alone?

And imagine downgrading from Aho to nothing in your roster, him going to a direct rival and only getting a 1st-2nd-3rd.

 

[BigBear83]

eh. whatever.. ill wait to judge when i can actually see him play .. i think i would have rather used the money from lindholm and ritchie and gotten hartman instead

 

[Marcobruin]

Great move ..from all the FAs
He's the guy I wanted.
We are going back to the finals...