Anaheim Ducks: Countdown to the Season Opener- Nick Ritchie
By Ciara Durant
Our countdown the season opener continues. Fortunately, the long and anticipated wait for the Anaheim Ducks regular season to start is almost over. There are only 37 more days left until the Anaheim Ducks face-off against the Sharks at the SAP Center in San Jose.
There is not one person that is a stranger to having expectations placed on them. Whether it’s at a job, your family, or simply expectations that you’ve placed on yourself, we’ve all had to deal with them in one way or another. The Anaheim Ducks are no exception to this rule. Expectations are just a part of this beautiful circle we call life. However, they aren’t always realistic.
Why do I bring this up? It was while reading an article about Nick Ritchie, published by one of our own at Pucks of a Feather, that I realized I was guilty of putting unrealistic expectations on him. Of course, in hindsight, that isn’t fair. However, NR37 is no stranger to facing criticism. He has been a big source of contention for all of Ducks Nation this summer, and understandably so.
I say understandably because the arguments against him are valid. However, they only make sense if you forget to think about the bigger picture. If you exclude all of the extenuating circumstances of 2017-18, the argument against Nick Ritchie seems like a pretty easy open and close case.
I could play the devil’s advocate all day and point out everything that is wrong with Ritchie’s game. Nevertheless, I am a glass half full kind of person and I prefer to look at the positives. I’m not going to claim that Ritchie is everything we ever hoped and dreamed he would be. He is still young and, in my opinion, a little underdeveloped. I do, however, think it is fair to say that he deserves the chance to find himself as a player and prove that he has what it takes to make it in the “big leagues.”
For the time being, let’s push aside our negative opinions of NR37 and stop analyzing his faults. Instead, let’s take a look at what he added to the team during the 2017-18 season.