Jan 7: Ritchie has cleared waivers according to TSN’s Chris Johnston. With Mitch Marner and Pierre Engvall entering the COVID protocol, the forward will likely remain on the active roster for the time being.
Jan 6: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Toronto Maple Leafs placed forward Nick Ritchie on waivers today.
Many of Toronto’s offseason gambles have worked out perfectly for them, but that hasn’t been the case with Ritchie. He has just a goal and seven assists through 30 games.
After starting the season with the chance to shine alongside Auston Matthews, he floundered in that role and was soon demoted to the fourth line. He was far more effective there playing with veterans Jason Spezza and Wayne Simmonds, but with Ilya Mikheyev returning to the lineup and the Leafs now with a fully healthy roster, the team needed space and cap relief.
Ritchie and his $2.5MM cap hit was the odd man out. He’s signed through 2022-23 as well, so it’s extremely unlikely another team stakes a claim on the 26-year-old forward.
Hope the Rangers claim him
Me too
Ya he’s gonna clear. Cant skate, can’t shoot, isn’t physical, he literally brings nothing but his cap hit to the team
Agree with everything. But he is physical. Leads our team in hits. Could use his size more though
I remember a ton of Leaf fans so excited to get a 15 goal power forward at such a great price tag!
As a Bruin fan, and my Son a ducks fan – we both said it won’t take long to hate that contract.
He will play decent about 1 in every 10 games on avg.
In Noston once he was “finally” taken off the No1 PP, his stats started to mirror his play. Horrible!!!
Yeah. At a million a year, he’s tolerable as a 4th liner. At 2.5, he’s brutal.
Big Daddy said it-he can’t skate. He has a horrible stride and it got worse in Anaheim. Their skating guru should have been able to fix it. (The guru is not all that).
He can’t catch the faster skaters to hit. Always thought they had the two Bruin signings in reverse. Kase should have gotten the higher contract.
Good enough hands for a 15-20 goal scorer,but if you can’t get it done with Mathews and Marner,sweet Jesus.
He will stick around a few seasons,sign for the league minimum,and get in 20 more games.
Well he will still get his paycheque from the Leafs or if some team is stupid enough to take him off their hands for this yr and next.
He’s been brutal, but rather bury a portion of his contract to the minors Then have Foligno’s..yikes. Or Halls,at 6 sheets a year w/7 goals ain’t much better.The ship is sinking Beantown…
Tmlnut! Hood name, so let’s wait until playoffs – some ships more then others usually sink fast at that time of year!
Lol
Anyways cheers
Bruins aren’t the same without chara and rask. Bergeron is like 37. The team needs a refresher for sure
Rangers will not want him he is not the coaches ideal player ..
He’s not an NHLer doesn’t matter the coach
Ritchie would move better on the ice wearing dress shoes instead of skates.
Watching him during training camp I had such high expectations.
Boy was I wrong….so wrong.