Pucks of a Feather
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Anaheim Ducks Trade Deadline Primer: 5 Trade Candidates

By Kennyth M

ANAHEIM, CA - JANUARY 17: Anaheim Ducks leftwing Nick Ritchie (37) leaps into the arms of center Adam Henrique (14) after Henrique scored a goal in the second period of a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins played on January 17, 2018 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - JANUARY 17: Anaheim Ducks leftwing Nick Ritchie (37) leaps into the arms of center Adam Henrique (14) after Henrique scored a goal in the second period of a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins played on January 17, 2018 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 04: Anaheim Ducks Left Wing Nick Ritchie (37) in warmups prior to the regular season NHL game between the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs on February 4, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

4. Nick Ritchie, 23-years-old, Left Wing

Why He’s On the Trade Block

To the surprise of most Ducks fans, Nick Ritchie is enjoying a breakout campaign (you can read about why I believed Ducks fans should give him a chance). With his value peaking and Anaheim’s desire to become a faster team, the time is right to move out the blossoming power forward.

Despite the league trending towards faster play, teams still look to add physical players for long playoff runs. Ritchie has proven to be a good counterpart to faster line-mates like Daniel Sprong and Ondrej Kase. As a result, faster teams lacking physicality will be looking to obtain Ritchie’s size via trade.

Why He Stays

As noted above, Ritchie is enjoying a breakout campaign. Even with the Ducks struggling to produce offense, he’s on a nearly 50 pt pace for the season (25 points in 42 games). Quietly, he has added some playmaking ability to his arsenal and has aided to the success of both Sprong and Kase.

NR37’s dedicated offseason has paid off and he’s taken a big leap forward in his development. He was recently added to the top Power Play unit, but was is more surprising has been his ability to kill penalties. He’s not a player known for his defensive ability, so it goes to show how much the coaches are trusting him to make the right decision. He still takes careless penalties, but Ritchie has done a nice job limiting the frequency in which they happen.

Best Fit

Philadelphia — The Flyers have miraculously turned their season around and are pushing to make the playoffs. They may not be “buyers” per se, which is why a controllable player like Ritchie makes sense. Wayne Simmonds is gone after this season, if not before, so NR37 is a player who can fill a similar role on the team.

Philly’s notable prospects: Nolan Patrick, Scott Laughton, Philippe Myers, Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, Jay O’Brien.

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