Ryder Ritchie, son of former NHLer Byron Ritchie, brings a lot of things to the ice that coaches will like in todays NHL. I’m not sure that Craig Berube is that coach, but he’s a handful for defenders nonetheless.
Ryder Ritchie
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 175lbs
With excellent edgework, exceptional skating and solid speed, Ritchie is tough for defenders to track. He changes speed and direction on a dime and spins off checks and out of coverage with ease. Once he has a little bit of space he moves east-west to open up shooting lanes and create offense. While he’s a good playmaking winger as well as a shooter, it’s his shot and goal scoring that stand out a little more than his passing plays. His effort level is high, with that key word “engine” being used to describe him often. He projects as a middle six scoring winger with top 6 potential.
As is often the case with young players, his defensive game is still evolving, as is his consistency. It’s not that much of a knock on him, as the desire and ability is most certainly there. He’s grown this season and while he may not get taller, he will fill out as he gets older. If he can match his father’s 200lb playing weight he’ll register as NHL size, though he will never be considered a big player. His point totals aren’t as high as some of the wingers around him in the draft (19G, 44pts, 47GP), but he missed a couple of months due to injury and plays on a weak Prince Albert Raiders team in the WHL. The expectation is for those totals to make a sharp uptick this season, as he continues to evolve into a player that can lead a team at the junior level.