Anaheim Ducks: Were We Wrong About Nick Ritchie?

Nick Ritchie was a sore subject with Anaheim Ducks fans at the start of the 2018-19 season. However, his recent on-ice success begs the question, were we wrong about him?

Nick Ritchie, the Anaheim Ducks first-round pick of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He is one of those players that everyone loves to hate. Kind of like Corey Perry. However, the “hate” extends deep into his own fan base.

It is understandable with all of the boneheaded penalties he is notorious for taking. He has earned himself the reputation of being an irresponsible hot head. If things don’t go well, and Ritchie takes a penalty, all fingers point to the young power forward.

The anger towards Ritchie intensified when contract negotiations went cold so close to the season. October 3rd came and went and he still hadn’t signed a new contract. When things finally began to heat back up again, many of us were calling for a trade.

However, we’re nearly two months into the new season and, with 13 games under his belt, things have taken an odd turn here at the Pond. Instead of receiving criticism, Nick Ritchie is receiving praise. What happened?

Nick Ritchie vs Corey Perry

Nick Ritchie is like a generic Corey Perry. He gets the job done almost as well, but he doesn’t have the branding. However, if you look at both Ritchie and Perry’s stats, you see a very similar picture.

Corey Perry has spent much more time in the NHL than Ritchie, but the similarities between the two are overwhelming. Both players have a very similar average Corsi For and Fenwick For percentage. They both also take an inordinate amount of penalties.

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Ritchie is most often criticized for the number of penalties he takes. Last season, which was his second full season with the Anaheim Ducks, he spent 72 minutes in the sin bin. If we assume that most of these penalties were silly minor penalties, that means he gave opposing teams 36 power play opportunities.

If you flip the script and take a look at Corey Perry’s second full season with the Anaheim Ducks, he spent 108 minutes in the penalty box. Again, assuming most of them were minor penalties, Corey Perry gave the opposing teams an astounding 54 power play opportunities in his third season.

Last season, Perry had 71 PIM which is almost exact to the amount of PIM Ritchie acquired throughout the season. So, why is Ritchie criticized more than Perry?

Corey Perry produces points. Even after all of the critisizm he has received over the past two seasons, he hasn’t produced less than 40 points since his rookie season with the club. Ritchie has struggled to generate points, having never had more than a 28 point season.

The expectations placed on a first-round draft pick are high and so far, Nick Ritchie hasn’t lived up to the hype. After last season, it was clear that the power forward had yet to learn his own boundaries or define who he was as an NHL player.

When he was resigned to a 3-years $4.6M contract, we expected the same old Nick Ritchie to take the ice. However, it has been quite a pleasant surprise to see a completely different player on the ice.

Is Nick Ritchie Actually Good?

I am of the opinion that Nick Ritchie fits perfectly in the position he is currently in. He is a third line player, plain and simple. If he was a top-six player, I’ve said this before, the Anaheim Ducks would be doing him a disservice by keeping him in Orange County.

Although it is disappointing for a lot of us that Nick Ritchie hasn’t lived up to being a first-round draft pick, I think the team is better when he is on the ice. He has good chemistry with Adam Henrique and Ondrej Kase, and I think he adds a little spice to the roster.

Ritchie has seven points in the past six games, which for him, is pretty impressive. I think the training he did over the offseason really helped him figure out who he was. He has seemed a lot more patient and reserved when he’s on the ice. He’s letting his skills speak for him instead of trying to show off by starting fights.

Even better, he’s limited himself on taking penalties this season. He’s been involved in a few scraps, but so far, he has only had his name slapped on three penalties.

So, my answer to the question is yes. Nick Ritchie is not a flashy or phenomenal player. However, he is good and I think he’s on his way to proving that he belongs with the Anaheim Ducks organization.

Were we wrong about him? That question is something only you can answer.

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