Nick Ritchie
Position: LW
Current Team: Peterborough Petes (OHL)
Date of Birth: December 5, 1995
Place of Birth: Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 236 lbs
Shoots: Left
Simply put, this kid is a classic power forward. He’s big, can skate, throws his body around, and can fill the net. He reminds me a bit of Rick Nash. By some accounts (read below) his conditioning isn’t ideal, but if he can get that sorted out he has the potential to be a hell of a player.
He’s almost assured to go in the top-ten of the draft, and where he plays a premier position his value could be slightly elevated. In my opinion, he’s got Maple Leaf written all over him.
Ritchie is a prototypical power forward with an impressive blend of size, skill and strength. He skates well for a big player and has agile feet. He bulls his way around the ice and has an impressive, erratic shot. – Elite Prospects
Big, mean and talented, Ritchie has so many pro attributes already and while consistency can be an issue, there’s a lot to love. A classic power forward, Ritchie helped the Petes overcome a 3-0 series deficit to Kingston in the playoffs and the big man dealt the final blow to the Fronts by scoring in overtime of Game 7 to clinch the comeback. – Ryan Kennedy, THN
“Conditioning is a question. He’s too heavy. His skating would be better if he wasn’t dragging around that amount of weight. And if he was in better shape, he might not be taking shifts off, which he does. – Scout from Gare Joyce Article for Sportsnet
A Good Fit in Columbus?
This is the stretch of profiles where we start to see players who could potentially be available when the Jackets select. If you read the article from Gare Joyce above, you will see that an opponent of Ritchie’s compared him to Columbus’ Nathan Horton. A potential “Midwest Legion of Doom” line with Ritchie, Ryan Johansen and Horton sounds deadly if you are the Jackets’ opponent.
Ritchie in Action