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

[zeke]

Pretty much.
I still remember how some here mocked the signing of Hainsy instead of Hunwick. Since the Pens opted to sign Hunwick instead of Hainsy.
I think depth signings are all about teams needs within their budget.

The very same poster you are responding to here, in fact

 

[zeke]

Your reminder that Boston was worse than the Leafs last year, and have likely become even worse with their offseason changes.

 

[LeafChief]

Your reminder that Boston was worse than the Leafs last year, and have likely become even worse with their offseason changes.

People seem to forget that Krejci and Rask are actually very good players.

 

[ULF_55]

People seem to forget that Krejci and Rask are actually very good players.

And Leafs core is mostly just entering their prime.

 

[yubbers]

I don't really give a shit about what Boston thinks of Ritchie.

I just hope the Leafs are right in their assessment of him. I think there's a good chance he could outperform his contract and become a fixture in the lineup.

[Hope is always the last thing to abandon us.]

You don't care about what an orginazation that is far more successful then us and is always competing..... And lean on the opinion of an orginazation that's the running joke of the league with it's current management?

How does one even respond to that? There's literally no logic to that at all

 

[Twine Tickler]

You stick Ritchie in front of the goalie on pp and he might be okay...otherwise he will be the most frustrating player to watch 5 on 5.

I have read a bunch of posts on the bruins board that kind of echo this sentiment. I guess time will tell, but it would make sense why Boston just let him walk only to replace him with a player 10 years his senior and who costs 1.5x as much.

hopefully he has a strong offseason and is excited at the prospect of playing with Matthews and Marner potentially. As a previous poster mentioned, there is absolutely no way he could be slower or as ineffective as Jumbo was last year, so he really doesn't have a high bar to reach.

 

[Blowfish]

I have read a bunch of posts on the bruins board that kind of echo this sentiment. I guess time will tell, but it would make sense why Boston just let him walk only to replace him with a player 10 years his senior and who costs 1.5x as much.

hopefully he has a strong offseason and is excited at the prospect of playing with Matthews and Marner potentially. As a previous poster mentioned, there is absolutely no way he could be slower or as ineffective as Jumbo was last year, so he really doesn't have a high bar to reach.

Jumbo and Ritchie are allot alike = lackadaisical - it will drive you crazy

 

[Makaveli]

I'll take Ritchie over Foligno all day

 

[zeke]

Jumbo and Ritchie are allot alike = lackadaisical - it will drive you crazy

"slow" is better than "lackadaisical", imo.

but "slow" is just as frustrating.

Thing is Joe was solid to start the year, but faded to useless at the end.

 

[hotpaws]

Your reminder that Boston was worse than the Leafs last year, and have likely become even worse with their offseason changes.

can you remind me what our record against the B's was last season ?

 

[zeke]

I guess time will tell, but it would make sense why Boston just let him walk only to replace him with a player 10 years his senior and who costs 1.5x as much.

Both Toronto and Boston have recently thought that Foligno is still the very good player he was a couple years ago - a guy who can be defensively effective in big minutes against elite competition, while still contributing a bit of offense too. Toronto gave up a 1st rounder for that and Boston signed him to a 2yr mid money deal for that.

But he didn't look like that kind of player last year, either for columbus or for Toronto, so we'll see if he can get back to that for Boston the next couple years.

Ritchie is what he is - a guy with solid puck skills and physical presence, but quite slow. He's been a solid middle 6 winger - a guy you ideally want as your #4/5/6 winger. At this point Toronto is looking for a #3 winger, though, and Ritchie might get that opportunity first even though he's probably not good enough to fill that role successfully. But, the leafs have a bunch of other options to fill that role if he doesn't - Kase, Kerfoot, Mikheyev, Robertson, Bunting, Spezza all have a chance of being that guy.

 

[ACC1224]

Ritchie is the player I'm most looking forward to watching this season.
I think he is going to be a stud here.

 

[ULF_55]

can you remind me what our record against the B's was last season ?

I'm guessing undefeated?

 

[ACC1224]

can you remind me what our record against the B's was last season ?

They couldn't beat the Bruins last year.

 

[hotpaws]

They couldn't beat the Bruins last year.

you and ULF timed it well , lol

 

[Twine Tickler]

Jumbo and Ritchie are allot alike = lackadaisical - it will drive you crazy

ya I fear this. But I guess I will jus have to wait and see. Hopefully Barb can work her magic

 

[LeafChief]

Ritchie is a significant upgrade on Thornton.

He's not an ideal first liner but unfortunately that is not available to us because everyone had to cash out.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Your reminder that Boston was worse than the Leafs last year, and have likely become even worse with their offseason changes.

Worse at what? Certainly not at winning playoff games that's for sure.

 

[ULF_55]

you and ULF timed it well , lol

I'm looking forward to seeing them play against the best teams again.

Wasn't impressed with this past season, and wasn't surprised they flopped, however their degree of flop was outstanding.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Worse at what? Certainly not at winning playoff games that's for sure.

If one has an agenda that involves putting a positive spin on everything this team does, then it's logical to brag how awesome it is to be a top 10 team during the regular season and ignore the fact that we always suck in the playoffs.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

If one has an agenda that involves putting a positive spin on everything this team does, then it's logical to brag how awesome it is to be a top 10 team during the regular season and ignore the fact that we always suck in the playoffs.

Sounds about right.

Crazier thing is I've seen posters on here try to convince people that somehow regular season success means more than playoff success and that we're ungrateful complainers for not appreciating this awesome "top 5" team. That's how desperate some are getting trying to convince themselves this team is good.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Sounds about right.

Crazier thing is I've seen posters on here try to convince people that somehow regular season success means more than playoff success and that we're ungrateful complainers for not appreciating this awesome "top 5" team. That's how desperate some are getting trying to convince themselves this team is good.

I was about to say very well put but I feel obliged to point out that we haven't cracked the top 5 even once. We're a top 10 team regular season team and we suck in the playoffs, that about sums it up IMO.

 

[zeke]

Worse at what? Certainly not at winning playoff games that's for sure.

True. Bruins were 6-5 in the playoffs, Leafs were 3-4.

 

[saltming]

ya I fear this. But I guess I will jus have to wait and see. Hopefully Barb can work her magic

Not Barb rather the fitness coaches will be put to task which means the ball will be in Ritchies court.

 

[The Iceman]

Ritchie is the player I'm most looking forward to watching this season.
I think he is going to be a stud here.

Did you say
For Bruins' Ritchie brothers, time on farm no mere horseplay