Decision Coming Soon On Anaheim Ducks Rookie Nick Ritchie

Anaheim Ducks rookie Nick Ritchie is eligible for a contract slide if he stays under 10 NHL games played this season, a decision on his fate will come soon.

Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray took action when his team lacked consistent scoring. He recalled top forward prospect Nick Ritchie and sent him off on the Ducks four game east coast road trip, hoping that the rookie could spark some offense.

At the time of his call up, Ritchie had 12 points in his first 12 AHL games with the San Diego Gulls, he was dominant.

Ritchie’s early AHL scoring success has not translated to the NHL level yet, he has 0 points through seven games with the Ducks. However, Ritchie has played a steady game and the numbers show that he has played well despite remaining scoreless.

Those numbers will now need to be heavily considered by Murray and the Ducks front office as decision day is looming for Ritchie.

Due to Ritchie being 19 years of age before September 15, 2015, he is eligible for a contract slide. This means that due to his age he is eligible for his entry-level contract to slide by one year if he does not play in 10 NHL games this season. If Ritchie hits the 10 NHL game mark, his slide eligibility vanishes.

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Ritchie has played in 7 NHL games thus far. The Ducks have three games this week and if Ritchie plays Monday against Vancouver, Wednesday against Tampa Bay and Friday against San Jose, he will lose his slide eligibility.

A decision should be made this week on whether Nick Ritchie will continue to play for the Anaheim Ducks this season, or be sent back to San Diego.

If the Ducks call up another forward to delay Ritchie’s arrival to the 10 NHL games played mark, this decision could be pushed back. However, the Ducks only have 12 forwards on their roster as of now so it appears that Ritchie will hit the 8 game mark tomorrow night against Vancouver barring a call up of another forward.

So let’s take a look at Ritchie’s number thus far.

The first thing you see here is that Ritchie is scoreless through seven games, but this does not indicate how effective he’s been thus far. Ritchie has played primarily on the Kesler line which often sees tough opposition.

Ritchies quality of competition ranking is first amongst Ducks forwards (granted he has only played in 7 games) and yet his plus/minus rating is only a -1. Ritchie has also taken just two minor penalties, one of which was an awful call, and he has done so while playing incredibly physical.

Ritchie has 30 hits through seven games, a little over four hits per game. Ritchie has led the Ducks in hits in two of his seven games.

Next you look at his shot totals. For a guy that has a great shot and incredible offensive skill, 13 shots through seven games is not a high number, but it is the quality of Ritchie’s shots that should be considered.

Ritchie has only missed the net three times and has only had one shot blocked. This shows that he has done a great job of taking good quality shots. Most rookies will find themselves taking bad shots at times, but Ritchie has done a great job of not trying to do to much. He’s getting the puck on net.

Next you look at ice time. A little over 13 minutes per game is a good number, especially since Boudreau likes to spread ice time. Ritchie is taking nearly 17 shifts per game and averaging 6.5 shifts per game in the third period.

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This indicates that Boudreau trust Ritchie when he is on the ice, Boudreau knows that he will not make mistakes with the game on the line. Yes, Boudreau will often separate Ritchie from Kesler down the stretch of a close game, but 6.5 shifts in the third period is solid for an offensive minded rookie on a deep Anaheim team.

Ritchie’s presence on the Ducks power play has not been felt yet, but he has also been playing primarily on the second unit. He’s a big body that could continue to help a subpar Ducks power play.

Finally, some advanced statistics.

Ritchie’s 59.3% corsi percentage ranks him first amongst Ducks players (again, granted he has only played in seven games). In his seven games, he has only had less than 50% possession twice. This is impressive when you also factor in his quality of competition ranking. He’s a great possession player as he takes good shots, is a good skater and is difficult to knock off the puck due to his size. He’s essentially Pat Maroon with WAAAAAAAAY MORE offensive skill.

Assessing Ritchie’s numbers is a difficult task. He’s a goal scorer who has failed to produce thus far, but every other stat category swings in his favor. You have to believe that it would simply be a matter of time before he starts producing points if he remains with the Ducks.

Ritchie’s poise has been his strong suit thus far. He has stayed mistake free and is not trying to do too much. He’s been making the right plays and has been a force on the Ducks forecheck, punishing opposing defensemen.