Looking at draft prospect Ryder Ritchie
Could Ryder Ritchie be a piece the Vegas Golden Knights are looking for? Here's a look at his draft profile.
The NHL Draft is just over a month away, with the big event taking place at the Sphere on June 28. Las Vegas is becoming a big destination for everything hockey-related, as made evident by the NHL Awards Ceremony happening at Fontainebleau. But for the draft, it raises some questions about which young pieces will fall where.
With the offseason comes a sea of potential free agents and draft picks for NHL teams to select. They offer various services and can either bolster or hinder a team's chances of winning. For the Vegas Golden Knights, they have a wave of options to tackle this upcoming offseason. That includes possibly drafting Ryder Ritchie, a promising prospect.
The young forward has the potential to fit in well as a Golden Knight. Players that play hard every time they're near the puck are treasured in Bruce Cassidy's system. They become impact players who become memorable among passionate Golden Knights fans. Luckily for Ritchie, he might fall to the 19th pick at the NHL Draft and prove himself within Cassidy's system.
The urgency to fill bodies and add depth at the forward position is urgent for the Golden Knights. With almost two lines worth of forwards becoming unrestricted free agents this summer, holes must be addressed by general manager Kelly McCrimmon and company. That might include picking Ritchie with the 19th pick and developing him into a key figure for the Golden Knights.
But there's much more to the Calgary native than simply being a projected first-round pick. He didn't just get to being projected as a first-round pick by sheer luck, you know. What can Ritchie bring to the Golden Knights if he's picked in the first round? What aspects must the young forward improve on to become a factor in the NHL?
1. Ryder Ritchie's Profile
Ryder Ritchie is a young forward who plays for the Prince Albert Raiders. In two seasons with the Raiders, he scored 39 goals and added 60 assists in 108 games. The 17-year-old also played two seasons with the RINK Hockey Academy, spending some time with the prep squad. He's also the son of former Vancouver Canucks forward, Byron Ritchie.
While he highlighted the WHL with his skills, Ritchie is a little undersized. He stands at 6'0" and weighs 174 lbs. The forward has a right-handed shot and was a one-time WHL Rookie of the Year. Ritchie also won gold medals in the U18 World Junior Championship and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Even though Ritchie isn't the biggest player on the ice, he controls the pace of the offense. The Calgary native can slow down the pace or speed it up, throwing off defenders with ease. He also brings energy to a team, acting as a sparkplug for whoever he plays for.
Ritchie is also a confident player for someone his age, showing maturity beyond his age. The 17-year-old can easily mesh with the team and pick up on matters quickly. If the Vegas Golden Knights pick Ritchie with the 19th overall pick in the NHL Draft, they're getting an intelligent player with offensive chops.
2. How Ritchie fits with the Vegas Golden Knights
Despite not being the biggest player, Ryder Ritchie plays a similar style to how the Vegas Golden Knights play. He likes to control the tempo at his pace, which Bruce Cassidy loves to see. With solid puck possession and quickness, he can become a tough matchup for opposing defenders.
Ritchie's smaller frame allows him to maneuver through defenses flawlessly, making him a threat. His shot comes hard and fast, with defenders and goalies in the line of fire. That also comes with good puckhandling technique and skill, where he thrives offensively.
However, he must be better off the puck and become more reliable away. He tends to act as a bystander in the play rather than fight for the puck. That can become problematic for the Vegas Golden Knights, for they pride themselves on constantly playing a 200-ft. game. Ritchie must also become more adaptable, seeing the play develop and making sound judgments.
Ritchie will be a project for the Golden Knights. He must develop his raw skills and start developing himself off the puck. That starts with working on his presence in the checking lanes and not telegraphing his actions. That way, he can become a key contributor for Vegas.
3. The verdict on Ryder Ritchie
Ryder Ritchie has the potential to develop into a middle-of-the-lineup player. He has the skills to become an important offensive player for the Vegas Golden Knights if he's selected. He can come at opposing defenders with a head of steam, making him a tough matchup. The 17-year-old is good from long distance, where he fires his hard shot at the net without any issues.
However, he'll be a project for the Golden Knights if selected with the 19th overall pick. Ritchie must learn to put it all together to become a key component of the Golden Knights lineup. That includes better play off the puck and becoming more comfortable in front of the net. He must also develop himself within the checking lanes, making his presence felt along the boards.
If he can add some size and develop his skills over time, the Golden Knights will be rewarded with Ritchie as the 19th overall pick. However, there might be more viable options in the NHL Draft, where Kelly McCrimmon might not have the patience to develop a player. That's partly why they've traded a majority of their first-round picks, for the Golden Knights are in win-now mode.
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