Confirmed with Link: Brett Ritchie a Bruin

[mar2kbos]

GM Sweeney emphasized (yet again) in his press conference after Day 1 that the team is counting on players in the system to step up and grab open spots in Boston. I'm guessing Bjork has the best shot to make the top 6 among that group.

That’s a mistake. They maybe have one more shot at this with the aging core and they can’t hope for a second liner. Get one, use the the young guys to fill in third and fourth roles until they prove more worthy of more.

 

[McGarnagle]

Might as well have signed Lionel Richie tbqh

 

[bb_fan]

How?

Not the type player I'd want for a fourth line.

 

[ChargersRookie]

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

You haven't been in sim leagues as long as you might think. lol

 

[sleepyh]

Fernandez!

MFMF

 

[Dr Hook]

A little late to the party because I've been travelling all day, but I like this signing. I saw a good bit of him with the Stars and while he's not developed as they hoped, there is something there and I think he can be a good Bruin. I am looking forward to see what he can do.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Not the type player I'd want for a fourth line.

Fast. Gritty. Good two way skill. What's not to like?

 

[Dr Hook]

Fast. Gritty. Good two way skill. What's not to like?

He's a good fourth line guy, and I think has a chance to become more than that. I am not holding my breath, but if he becomes a solid 2 way third line wing that can play up in a time of need, I won't be that surprised.

 

[PlayMakers]

Thanks Bill. Ritchie really looked skilled and powerful in that video. Let's hope he can bring some of that in Boston.

Yeah, he really did. Here's hoping.

 

[bb_fan]

Fast. Gritty. Good two way skill. What's not to like?

Snall not very physical not a big hitter.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Snall not very physical not a big hitter.

Time to get out of that for the 4th line position.

 

[N o o d l e s]

Might as well have signed Lionel Richie tbqh

I prefer Sofia

 

[bb_fan]

Time to get out of that for the 4th line position.

No Its not.

 

[Over the volcano]

Fast. Gritty. Good two way skill. What's not to like?

The length or $ ... oh wait those are really good too

 

[bearcountry17]

If Ritchie can even slightly improve on his career 11 goal, 18 point average and bring some toughness/ stick up for teammates this could end up being a very good deal for the Bruins. Hopefully a change of scenery will do him good.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

No Its not.

It is.

 

[Kazcram]

Kid could have some u tapped potential....maybe he becomes our Knuble.

If he doesnt...he goes in the farm. Not a big deal

hoping he becomes john leclair

 

[McGarnagle]

I prefer Sofia

 

[EvilDead]

All the comparisons people are making makes shake my head. Seeing Ritchie panning out would be a great steal for the Bruins, but there needs to be a tempering of expectations. For every hit on a power forward prospect like Mike Knuble, Cam Neely, and Jason Allison, there have been players like Jimmy Hayes, Martin Lapointe, and Landon Wilson the Bruins have missed on by a country mile. Not only that it seems like people forget that players like Knuble, Neely and Allison were all stand out prospects. Knuble was excellent at Michigan while Neely and Allison lit it up in Canadian Juniors. Ritchie didn't do nearly as well as those players when playing in the OHL outside of his final season in Niagara and has only had one really eyebrow raising season as a pro when he was in the AHL.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

Dissatisfaction at seeing the Bruins finally pick up a 6'3 220pd winger who will hit and stand up for himself and teammates.

Leafs traded for the 6'6 Harpur --he who splayed Kuraly's nose in a fight-- and I was really hoping that Harpur would have to have his next fight in Boston (facing either of our top fighters last year ) vs. Krug or Marchand.

 

[EvilDead]

The problem isn't the player, it's the need. Besides locking down Carlo and McAvoy, the Bruins are currently in need of a top six guy that can put pucks in the net first and foremost so the team isn't dependent on the first line all season. Sweeney should have addressed that need first before getting Ritchie. Additionally, given the other players who have been signed around the league, the Bruins could have gotten a player like Ritchie if not him exactly later on in free agency. To prioritize him over MoJo or a serviceable top 6 forward is a risk to me. Not only that, who's to say this guy will play on a consistent basis if at all for the Bruins? What if he gets beaten out for his job in training camp or plays in Providence for most of the year? Essentially you would have dumped $1 million on a guy who is a borderline NHLer while not retaining your own player in Acciari and could have gotten a player of similar caliber or better but didn't.

 

[Pia8988]

At the end of the day, the goal is to score more goals than your opponent, does Ritchie actually help that? Not really.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

At the end of the day, the goal is to score more goals than your opponent, does Ritchie actually help that? Not really.

You make it sound like hockey is a shootout back and forth with players taking turns to see if they can score goals. There are hundreds of little factors that go into if your team scores more than they get scored on and if he is playing up to his potential then, yes, he will help. If not, small money and term.

 

[bob27]

Don't really get the need to load up on 4th line. They have guys like Blidh and Kuhlman who could've filled those slots internally. Gaunce is pretty interesting though since he has really good fancy stats, but Ritchie and Lindholm seem like a waste of roster spots to me.

 

[Montecristo]

Anyone who thought Boston could afford to add anyone for the top 6 is delusional. Anyone who thought they could attach an average prospect to backes to dump his money is delusional. Toronto needed to add a 1st round pick to trade Marleau who had 1 year left and was more productive than backes was who has 2 years left. Backes cannot be moved for anything less than a 1st ++. Only way they could obtain a 2nd line winger was to trade Krug. If they don’t want to trade Krug, they can’t afford a top 6 forward. Simple.

Ritchie is a good fit. Boston needed the ability to inject some toughness. Ritchie can do that. He’s also got some offensive potential. The thing that I’m most optimistic about is that Sweeney seems to find these bottom line forwards in free agency and they always seem to work here better than anywhere they’d been previously. Nordstrom, schaller, acciari, Riley Nash, Wagner. I like Sweeney’s bottom line eyes. Id wager Ritchie comes in here and has a chance at 10+ goals and 20+ points which is good value for a million. I’d also not be surprised if lindholm ends up being a valuable contributor.