NEW YORK, NY -- The chances of New York Islanders prospect Calum Ritchie making the team out of training camp are slim -- it's not zero.
And the more he plays, the more enticing it's getting to picture him flying up the ice at the NHL level. He's playing with that pace, poise, and hockey sense that Patrick Roy has been craving.
Patrick Roy's Latest Comments On Islanders Prospect Calum Ritchie
<b>EAST MEADOW, NY --</b> When the<a href="http://thn.com/isles"> New York Islanders</a> acquired center prospect <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/islanders-prospect-calum-ritchie-bulked-up-ready-to-fill-brock-nelson-s-role">Calum Ritchie</a> from the Colorado Avalanche in the Brock Nelson deal, they knew they were getting a player who would help this franchise for a long time.
It's exactly what general manager Mathieu Darche is looking for, which is why on Jeff Marek's The Sheet, the first-year general manager said that if Ritchie plays well enough, he'll make room for him.
In Ritchie's first preseason game, he scored a goal and recorded an assist in a 6-2 losing effort. While recording power-play points is important, which both were, we weren't really able to see his 5-on-5 game enough since the New Jersey Devils controlled much of the posession throughout the game.
But, against the Rangers, a pointless night for the 20-year-old, Ritchie showed exactly why he's a top prospect. His ability to skate, use his body, and read the ice in front of him doesn't just make him good -- it makes him dangerous.
He makes so many subtle plays that make the game easier for his linemates. He had one nifty pass to Emil Heineman in the neutral zone, which allowed No. 51 to break over the Rangers' blue line with ease off the rush for what was almost a breakaway.
He had a one-handed chip pass off the bench boards to lead to another transition chance.
Defensively, which may be the most important thing a young player can demonstrate, Ritchie was rarely out of position, and his active stick allowed him to intercept a few passes.
In the second period, he stripped a puck at his own blue line before turning on the jets. He cut across the high slot and, instead of taking a low-danger shot, he held onto the puck, drawing a few defensemen his way before another strong pass to Heineman, who just sailed the shot wide.
His strong defensive play earned him an opportunity to defend a 6-on-5 situation late, helping the Islanders come away with a slim 5-4 victory.
"I trust him. I like his 200-foot game. He's playing well offensively, but he can also defend," Roy said postgame. "That's the first thing you want to know with younger guys [...] he's certainly going to make our decision very difficult.
"He's very poised with the puck. He moves the puck well. He spins very well and creates space for himself very well. So, I mean, it's interesting for a young guy like him."
Following the game, Ritchie was honored to get the late-game opportunity.
"Yeah, it means a lot," Ritchie told The Hockey News. "It's the type of player that I want to be. I want to be trusted by my coaches in any situation. And yeah, I think obviously being on the ice in a 6-on-5 is really important. I just try to do my best to be in the lane, block some shots, and [Isaiah] George had a big block at the end, so that was huge for the win."
THN spoke to Islanders veteran Kyle Palmieri, who skated on a line with Ritchie, to get his thoughts on the youngster.
"There's a learning curve. I think he had the taste of the NHL last year. I think that's good for him to be more comfortable coming into camp," Palmieri said. " But it's the NHL. He was matched up against two good centermen tonight. We were out there against Miller and Trocheck, and it's tough. There's a learning curve. And we talked after the goal we had scored against us. It's the attention to detail you have to have, especially as a centerman. Yeah, there are growing pains. So you knew there'd always be it.
"Everyone goes through them. I thought he played a great game. He got a great head on his shoulders, and to learn from it, he keeps trying to get better every day."
As a young player, when a coach gives you minutes defending a 6-on-5 late in a game, that certainly means something.
"I look back long time ago now, but when I was young and trying to break into the league, if there was any sort of lead with 10 or 12 minutes left, I was basically stapled to the bench," Palmieri said. "It teaches you a lot, and then eventually you get the opportunity to prove yourself, and you learn from your mistakes. It's part of that process of maturing and getting used to playing in this league against the best players in the world.
"I got nothing but good things to say about him, the way he's carried himself, and the way he came into camp."
The question began with whether or not Ritchie would play well enough to make the Islanders out of training camp.
Now, the question shifts to who will come out to make room for Ritchie, or will injuries take care of that?
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