Leafs sign Nick Ritchie - 2 years x 2.5M

[L K]

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1421450075222466563

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1421461035064643585

?They pass Nick Ritchie. He?s 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds. Only three players scored more than this guy. Anaheim picked him up. [GM] Bob Murray picked him. He was the executive of the year. [Ritchie] is tough. He can score. He has beautiful hands.

 

[Kin]

I'm not thrilled about the second year but beyond that I like the idea of him on one of the PP units being a bear in front of the net. I'm actually really sort of starting to like this group of forwards.

 

[TML fan]

For once I agree with Nik. I'm liking how the team is shaping up.

 

[Zee]

If the Leafs finally win a playoff round the Don Cherrys of the world will say it was Nick Ritchie all along. "Should have drafted him instead of Nylander!"

 

[Guilt Trip]

I'm not thrilled about the second year but beyond that I like the idea of him on one of the PP units being a bear in front of the net. I'm actually really sort of starting to like this group of forwards.

The 2nd year is probably the only way he comes here.. Like the signing and like what Dubas had done with the forwards. I think a trade is the next move. Leafs essentially signed Kase and Ritchie for what Foligno got. Tidy work

 

[L K]

I hope Barb can get his skating a little better.  It's probably a little more money than I would like and I'm wary of the 2nd year given the cap probably doesn't adjust much between now and then but I figure the 2nd year lowered the AAV.

Maybe a trade is still coming down the road here.

If they keep Engvall on the roster and demote Brooks (13F, 6D, 2G roster) they would have 80K in cap space. 

 

[Kin]

The 2nd year is probably the only way he comes here..

If that's true, and that strikes me as a significant if, then it strikes me as the sort of thing you should probably play hardball on. It doesn't spoil the signing for me or anything but I do think it's a bit of an experiment and you shouldn't commit to experiments for more than a year.

But again, I like the idea and think it might play out pretty well. In a way I think with some of the guys they signed they can sort of re-create Hyman in the aggregate.

Also, the team can always use more Ni(c)k's.

 

[Kin]

Also, I really have to imagine that with the possible exception of one of the London soccer teams there's no other team in pro sports that can or has signed so many guys who are unquestionably legit players at their level who grew up 45 minutes or so from their stadium.

 

[dekedastardly]

Now we're talking.

Not thrilled with the Kase signing

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Saw this on the Twitter machine.

Annual cap hit of Zach Hyman in 2021-2022= 5.5M

Annual cap hit of Michael Bunting, David Kampf, Ondrej Kase, and Nick Ritchie in 2021-2022= 5.9M

 

[Guilt Trip]

I hope Barb can get his skating a little better.  It's probably a little more money than I would like and I'm wary of the 2nd year given the cap probably doesn't adjust much between now and then but I figure the 2nd year lowered the AAV.

Maybe a trade is still coming down the road here.

If they keep Engvall on the roster and demote Brooks (13F, 6D, 2G roster) they would have 80K in cap space. 

Agree...Word was he was looking for 4 mill. The 2nd year probably dropped the AAV.

 

[herman]

Leafs: are you 24-26? Have you been let down by your current team somehow and want a chance to build a platform for a big UFA ticket with some of the premiere young superstars in the league today? Sign up with us!

 

[Guilt Trip]

Leafs: are you 24-26? Have you been let down by your current team somehow and want a chance to build a platform for a big UFA ticket with some of the premiere young superstars in the league today? Sign up with us!

And lots of local boys to boot. Wouldn't get that 5 years ago.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/nickdesouza_/status/1421465036527214594

 

[Kin]

Word was he was looking for 4 mill. The 2nd year probably dropped the AAV.

If a guy who'd never scored 20 goals or 35 points was looking for 4 million dollars the Leafs shouldn't have signed him because of delusions of grandeur.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/capfriendly/status/1421465831792336899
Trade szn

 

[Frank E]

He scored at a 21g - 38 point pace last season, 15g - 36 point pace the year before.

I'm good with this deal, especially given how weak the left side was looking.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Which one of Bunting, Ritchie or Kase will Edmonton overpay next because the core 4 pumped their tires for a year or two?

 

[Highlander]

Saw this on the Twitter machine.

Annual cap hit of Zach Hyman in 2021-2022= 5.5M

Annual cap hit of Michael Bunting, David Kampf, Ondrej Kase, and Nick Ritchie in 2021-2022= 5.9M

That alone is an amazing thing, at least 3 of them have good potential. Hate to repeat myself but Zach is going to break down on the side of the road at some point. Love him, but I am excited about these new additions.  As Nik said, its more fun in the offseason.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Comparing forwards from how we started last season to forwards from how we project to start this season:

OUT                  Hyman Thornton Vesey Barabanov

IN Ritchie Bunting Kase Kampf

Hyman is undeniably the best of the bunch here, so it remains to be seen if the improvements down the line can make up for that. All of Thornton, Vesey, and Barabanov essentially became non-factors for the Leafs later on though.