Ryder Ritchie is not the biggest guy, but scouts really like his speed and individual skill.
Despite injury issues this season, Ritchie was still nearly a point-per-game player in the WHL with 19 goals and 44 points.
He also had a very strong showing for Canada at the World U18s with four goals and eight points.
However, despite the burgeoning talent with Ritchie, scouts have raised red flags.
“He’s talented, but the injuries this year really hurt him,” one scout told The Hockey News. “He has really good skill, but he’s selfish. He doesn’t use his linemates very well. Once you get rid of that selfishness and he learns to distribute the puck better, maybe you have something there.”
“Some games you watch him, and unless he’s got the puck and he’s bursting down the wing, he’s not really too interested,” another scout said. “He’s a one-way player with good speed and skill.”
So Ritchie would be a project player for any team that acquires him, but he's the type of player a team would be willing to take a swing on due to his strong offensive toolkit.
What are the experts saying?
Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): "Ritchie’s a shifty playmaking winger who can make highlight-reel skill plays with the puck. He can play at multiple paces and adjust his tempo between them. He protects extremely well and will commonly shake past or around opposing players, building speed through his crossovers to hang onto the puck inside the offensive zone until a play presents itself. There’s also some real creativity to his game as an equal opportunity facilitator and finisher (he’s got a really nifty curl-and-drag and snap release that can cleanly beat goalies from midrange). He has a way of finding his way out of trouble, whether with a twist or turn or bit of creativity to set up an opening to pass through with a pre-planned move so that he can place a puck under a stick or between someone’s skates."
Tony Ferrari (The Hockey News): "Ritchie is a process-driven winger who seems to just make positive play after positive play. His intensity comes and goes at times, which holds him back a bit, but I’d classify Ritchie as a high-end complementary player. He doesn't drive the line as he lacks the necessary high-end puck skills for that, but he does an excellent job of supporting one. He’s shown to be a strong deferral option in transition, and in the offensive zone, he helps advance play for his teammates with puck retrievals and simple, smart and effective plays."