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.