Confirmed Signing with Link: [TOR] Leafs sign Nick Ritchie (2 years, $2.5M AAV)

[Dirk316]

What's interesting is that Toronto finally has a tougher team than the Bruins (If Kurtis Gabriel plays)

 

[The90]

And yet, if Philadelphia was in the North Division, they still would have missed the playoffs.

I was thinking this too lol

 

[Sniper99]

This is mega huge get by the maple leafs! Thank you TO THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION! At last a thuggish ruggish bone, who hast they weight of heavy. He really does have that body. Still scoring on the powerplay, what!!! WE DID IT!! : :maple leafs: :maple leaf: Our team is set and ready!

what? no "sires" or "twerks" or whatever bs you usually say?

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Crazy thing is i recall wheeler had pretty low value while in Boston ... If I remember correctly people scoffed at him possibly being a big piece in the Kaberle trade. Remember people seemingly bring happier to get Colborne at the time. Could be wrong though it's a long time now.

No, you’re definitely right. That I remember clearly.

 

[Mugzy97]

what? no "sires" or "twerks" or whatever bs you usually say?

:twerk:

 

[UConn126]

What's interesting is that Toronto finally has a tougher team than the Bruins (If Kurtis Gabriel plays)

Do they? Ritchie isn't really tough, just big. Part of the reason the Bruins were fine letting him walk is because he doesn't actually bring much toughness to the table. Just stands in front of the net, and for every tip in goal he scores he'll also get called for a goalie interference.

 

[Knies iT]

Do they? Ritchie isn't really tough, just big. Part of the reason the Bruins were fine letting him walk is because he doesn't actually bring much toughness to the table. Just stands in front of the net, and for every tip in goal he scores he'll also get called for a goalie interference.

Ritchie isn’t tough he could rag doll any player on your roster. As could Gabriel.

The Bruins are a soft team now.

 

[Dirk316]

Do they? Ritchie isn't really tough, just big. Part of the reason the Bruins were fine letting him walk is because he doesn't actually bring much toughness to the table. Just stands in front of the net, and for every tip in goal he scores he'll also get called for a goalie interference.

Yes he is and he's a dangerous fighter
Take a look at your roster wow is it soft especially for a Bruins team
The defense might be among the softest in the league. Sad what's happening to your franchise

 

[Dirk316]

Ritchie isn’t tough he could rag doll any player on your roster. As could Gabriel.

The Bruins are a soft team now.

As could Simmonds. Far cry from the big bad Bruins

 

[UConn126]

Yes he is and he's a dangerous fighter
Take a look at your roster wow is it soft especially for a Bruins team
The defense might be among the softest in the league. Sad what's happening to your franchise

I'm fine with it. I've watched Ritchie enough to know he's not a threat. And teams ebb and flow, if the Bruins have a down year, so be it. At least they've won a Cup in my lifetime, that's all I needed to see. The rest is gravy.

 

[seanlinden]

While Ritchie certainly has his faults, I think a lot of people in this thread may be underrating just how good of a fit he might be in Toronto.

Toronto should have what is consistently one of the best powerplays in the league with the talent they have up front. It struggles immensely because it's 1-dimensional. There's nobody to screen the goalie, nobody to pick up the trash, nobody to make scoring from within 10 feet of the net a concern for other teams.

That's a big part of Ritchie's game. If the Leafs use him right, it could/should create a powerplay that is nearly impossible to defend. To me, that powerplay time alone should give him the confidence and help him work into a top 6 role with the Leafs.

 

[Frank Drebin]

And yet, if Philadelphia was in the North Division, they still would have missed the playoffs.

The guy is a bruins fan, or something.

When a fan is too scared to show what team they root for, only what team or city they hate?

Bitch shit. Don't pay attention to bitches.

 

[BobClarkesfrontteeth]

While Ritchie certainly has his faults, I think a lot of people in this thread may be underrating just how good of a fit he might be in Toronto.

Toronto should have what is consistently one of the best powerplays in the league with the talent they have up front. It struggles immensely because it's 1-dimensional. There's nobody to screen the goalie, nobody to pick up the trash, nobody to make scoring from within 10 feet of the net a concern for other teams.

That's a big part of Ritchie's game. If the Leafs use him right, it could/should create a powerplay that is nearly impossible to defend. To me, that powerplay time alone should give him the confidence and help him work into a top 6 role with the Leafs.

Yup he can play some Tim Kerr Hockey. Tim Kerr use to score 50 a year for the Flyers and if you added up the distance of how far all the shots traveled it would have been 15 feet. He didn't have a hockey Stick he had a putter. He couldn't skate at all and he wasn't a physical player. He was just big and couldn't be moved from the front of the net.

I am not a huge fan of Richie but as you say he could be the perfect fit for this team.

 

[Sean Garrity]

Yes he is and he's a dangerous fighter
Take a look at your roster wow is it soft especially for a Bruins team
The defense might be among the softest in the league. Sad what's happening to your franchise

Yes for the 20% of time that he is physically engaged he is an absolute force. The other 80% he's floating around with that dumb look on his face. His game is extremely unreliable, and that's being polite. IF he can fix that, the dude absolutely has the skillset to be a force in every facet of the game sans defense, but we've been saying that for years.

 

[DangleCity]

Ritchie isn’t tough he could rag doll any player on your roster. As could Gabriel.

The Bruins are a soft team now.

Could, but won't lol. That's the biggest issue with him. His best asset is his size and strength and he never uses it cause he's lazy.

 

[Habs Halifax]

As could Simmonds. Far cry from the big bad Bruins

"No woman no cry"

 

[AvroArrow]

Crazy thing is i recall wheeler had pretty low value while in Boston ... If I remember correctly people scoffed at him possibly being a big piece in the Kaberle trade. Remember people seemingly bring happier to get Colborne at the time. Could be wrong though it's a long time now.

We were pretty high on Colborne, but no even at that time Wheeler had massive upside. I could be wrong but I think he was playing the 3rd line in Boston, I remember my brother and I always watching him and thinking this guy is a stud if he just got more ice time. Same thing with Giroux, he was stuck playing behind Carter and Richards, but was an absolute stud even back then. Those were 2 guys I badly wanted to play in Toronto, so much upside but just stuck playing fewer minutes due to great depth.

 

[DangleCity]

Crazy thing is i recall wheeler had pretty low value while in Boston ... If I remember correctly people scoffed at him possibly being a big piece in the Kaberle trade. Remember people seemingly bring happier to get Colborne at the time. Could be wrong though it's a long time now.

They jettisoned Wheeler that year and then won the Cup a few months later

 

[KnightofBoston]

As could Simmonds. Far cry from the big bad Bruins

anything to make 2019 sting less I spose


And 2018


And 2013



I wonder when average observers of the NHL will stop equating toughness with fighting.

ps: Ritchie has very little of either. But who knows maybe this is the year he FINALLY becomes the next Lucic

 

[DangleCity]

What's interesting is that Toronto finally has a tougher team than the Bruins (If Kurtis Gabriel plays)

The Bruins haven't been "tough" for a while now. I don't think Toronto's issues with Boston are because Boston was tougher than them.

 

[CDJ]

The Bruins haven't been "tough" for a while now. I don't think Toronto's issues with Boston are because Boston was tougher than them.

correct their issue has always been that their d runs around like a group of chickens with their heads cut off in front of a mediocre goalie

As for Ritchie I’m probably one of his biggest supporters but boy are some leafs fans going to be disappointed. Yeah he may have led Bruins forwards in hits but not all hits are the same. He had a couple big ones but for the most part they were behind the play and not all that impactful. He also doesn’t really fight unless he’s personally pissed off, which isn’t very often as he doesn’t play the game with a ton of passion. I compared him to a great white shark on skates. He kind of just coasts along doing nothing until there is an explosion of violence. The problem is that the explosion doesn’t really come unless he’s provoked, and most people will just leave him alone and let him coast. The one consistent knock on him on our boards that I couldn’t really defend him against was that he’ll watch his teammates get pushed around. He fancies himself an offensive dynamo more than a power forward/enforcer and honestly he’d be more effective if he looked at himself as Ryan Reaves. I do believe he’s one of the better fighters in the league and could develop a fearsome reputation, he just has no interest in sticking up for his teammates and doesn’t want to muck it up most nights. Solid passer though. That’s an underrated quality of his. Also not much of a skater though so he has fewer chances than most players because he doesn’t get to where he needs to be

 

[Disgraced Cosmonaut]

Ritchie lit up Brock Nelson of the Islanders in the playoffs. Took a fine for it, but not a suspension. He's an element the team has been lacking since Kadri left.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

While Ritchie certainly has his faults, I think a lot of people in this thread may be underrating just how good of a fit he might be in Toronto.

Toronto should have what is consistently one of the best powerplays in the league with the talent they have up front. It struggles immensely because it's 1-dimensional. There's nobody to screen the goalie, nobody to pick up the trash, nobody to make scoring from within 10 feet of the net a concern for other teams.

That's a big part of Ritchie's game. If the Leafs use him right, it could/should create a powerplay that is nearly impossible to defend. To me, that powerplay time alone should give him the confidence and help him work into a top 6 role with the Leafs.

This is exactly what the Bruins tried with their also elite PP talent. Eventually they reduced Ritchie's PP time and he slid to the 3rd line.

 

[BostonBob]

What's interesting is that Toronto finally has a tougher team than the Bruins (If Kurtis Gabriel plays)

And what's even more interesting is that Boston is still a better team than Toronto.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

What's interesting is that Toronto finally has a tougher team than the Bruins (If Kurtis Gabriel plays)

The difference is that Boston’s star players all play tougher than Toronto’s stars. And those are the guys who get most of the ice time and also set the example for the other players.