Anaheim Ducks fans should give Nick Ritchie a chance
Anaheim Ducks fans list of priorities this summer revolve around the desire to trade Corey Perry and Nick Ritchie. Perry’s enormous salary makes it unlikely he gets moved. As a result, all the pent-up frustration has been focused on shipping out the younger forward, but maybe they are being a bit hasty.
Nick Ritchie was never given a fair shot at being popular with Anaheim Ducks fans. Heading into the 2014 entry draft and picking 10th overall, Ducks fans were enamored with the electric Nikolaj Ehlers. Watching Ehlers get plucked one pick before Anaheim was met with groans of, “what could have been.” Unmet expectations meant, whoever GM Bob Murray chose was not going to be received with the same anticipation.
Ducks fans looked on in somber silence when the team announced Ritchie as their selection. Another power forward with the attributes we’ve come to expect: undisciplined, needs conditioning, plays when he wants to. Despite the negatives, he also had the potential and pedigree to become the best player in the draft.
The negatives that have followed Ritchie since have been a mixture of his own doing, but also a “self-fulfilling” prophecy established by the fan base. It’s why the positive things he has accomplished in his short career are all but forgotten, but the negatives are dwelt on.
If Ritchie can be moved to get a dynamic player, then I’m all for it. Moving him for the sake of moving him is a bad notion. There is hope should he remain a Ducks and I’ll explain why.
Power forwards take time to develop
To begin, it is important to understand power forwards are notoriously slow to develop and often suffer through setbacks. Tom Wilson, who is strikingly similar to Ritchie on a number of levels, career arch is a prime example of the PWF developmental curve. Wilson entered the NHL at 19 and played 4 seasons without scoring more than 7 goals or 25 points. Finally, at age 23, he secured a spot on the top line, responding with 14 goals and 35 points. He was a huge part of Washington’s Stanley Cup Championship and is poised for great things to come.
Other notable power forwards who have taken time to develop: Blake Wheeler, Wayne Simmonds, Chris Kreider, Patrick Maroon, Bobby Ryan. For most of these players, the season they turned 22 years old was very telling for future success. Ritchie is entering the 2018-19 season at 22, so this is his make or break year.
Accomplishments to be proud of
In his final OHL season, Ritchie scored 26 points in only 14 playoff games. The total was good enough for fourth most in the league, and the only player in the top 13 scorers with less than 20 games played. He was a force to be reckoned with. Ritchie did everything he could to give his team a chance at playing for a championship.
To develop as a pro he was due to spend the next season in the AHL. At the start, all went according to plan. He was an AHL All-Star game selection, representing the San Diego Gulls. Due to injuries on the main roster, the Ducks brought the big forward up to Anaheim. He has remained there since.
Ritchie struggled with his adjustment to the NHL’s faster pace of play due to his lack of conditioning. During the fading moments of the season, he settled down and made his physical presence felt.
Early success leads to unrealistic expectations
It was apparent Ritchie put in the offseason work to improve his conditioning when camp opened for his second season. The results paid off, he ended the season with 28 points (14g, 14a). In addition, he made his physical presence known in every game, amassing 247 hits (eighth in the league). His line consistently controlled the pace of play as reflected by his solid Corsi and Fenwick (both over 51%).
Ritchie’s solid regular season play translated effectively to the postseason. He scored four goals in 15 games, including the demon exercising Game 7 winner against the Oilers.
Ritchie began the playoffs on the third line but ascended the depth chart to Getzlaf’s wing when the Ducks offense struggled. Instead of being encouraged with the hulking power forwards play, fans wanted to see his productivity increase before accepting his success.
Regression is a four-letter word
The Orangeville, Ontario native struggled to produce in his third season. Additionally, his reckless play caused the depleted Anaheim Ducks roster to play short-handed far too often. In an effort to control his emotional outburst and prevent a trip to coach Carlyle’s proverbial “doghouse,” Ritchie hesitated to play physically. As a result, he disappeared for long stretches of the season.
Despite what the naysayers tell us, it wasn’t all the “big guy’s” fault. Ritchie and Ondrej Kase (or any line on the Anaheim Ducks for that matter) operated with inadequate center talent. Prior to acquiring Adam Henrique, on any given night their pivot was a rotating contingent of Logan Shaw, Chris Wagner, Derek Grant, Dennis Rasmussen, Antoine Vermette). NR37 wasn’t developed enough to drive his line’s productivity. The constant turnover at center added to his struggles.
The right combination pays off
Once Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler returned to the lineup, Ritchie and Kase were provided a legitimate center in Henrique. Looking up in the standings, the Anaheim Ducks needed a strong close to the campaign to qualify for the playoffs.
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His line flourished and Ritchie answered the bell by scoring five goals in the final 24 contests. On the nights Ritchie didn’t appear on the score sheets, he used his large frame to create space for his linemates. At times, the trio took over games.
Their success came to a crashing halt in the playoffs, but so did everyone wearing a Ducks jersey. In Game 3 against San Jose, Ritchie’s undisciplined play was a contributing factor in the most embarrassing loss in Ducks history. Several players, including the captain, played with a similar lack of control, so it wasn’t 100% on Ritchie. The entire team was abysmal in the playoffs, it shouldn’t weigh down what a promising end of the regular season.
There’s a light up ahead
The notion of trading Ritchie is understandable. There’s a better chance than not he is on the roster to start next year. Instead of brooding over the negatives from last season, the success he showed once paired with a capable center is a reason for optimism.
Ritchie may never become the elite player we envisioned selecting with the 10th overall pick, but he has shown glimpses of being a second line talent. With another year of development and the chemistry built with his linemates, he is poised for a rebound performance.
Next: Time for Fowler and Lindholm to lead
Instead of cutting losses and shipping him out, the Ducks are better off using his late-season success as a foundation to build on.