Penguins Draft Profiles: Calum Ritchie
Calum Ritchie may be too enticing of a prospect to pass on for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Essentials:
2022-23 Team: Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Height and Weight: 6-foot-2, 187 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Center
NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters): 13th
Elite Prospects: 14th
2022-23 Stats: 59 GP, 24 G, 35 A, 59 P
Alternate Captain for Oshawa Generals in 2022-23
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHZdfsf-7C8[/embed]
Player Breakdown:
Calum Ritchie is a prototypical center in the making. He wants the puck, excels in transition, and is a valuable asset in the offensive zone. For teams that want to possess the puck, Ritchie is the player for you. He has excellent puck handling and possession skills, utilizing his frame to keep defenders away from the puck and create continual space. He's also a creative playmaker who is extremely intelligent. He’s deadliest playing below the goal line and near the net, where he can distribute the puck and create scoring chances.
Ritchie also shoots incredibly well. Standing out on a below average Oshawa team, Ritchie took stride as both a playmaker and sniper this past season. Ritchie has an NHL shot already, with a strong and accurate wrist shot at his disposal. Ideally he will utilize it more, as he has a tendency to defer to passing and playmaking in the offensive zone.
Ritchie also comes with promising two-way potential. He’s been extremely responsible playing big minutes for the Generals, and he displays a high sense of awareness when on defense. Overall, Ritchie feels like one of the safest and most stable picks in the 2023 class.
What Needs to Improve:
The biggest area of need for Ritchie is his skating. He possesses ideal NHL size, but he needs to reach an NHL level of skating to match. He isn’t explosive and his edgework doesn’t stand out as above average. All in all, he’s a decent skater, but there’s lots of space for improvement.
Another part of his game that you want to see improve is rounding out his offensive game. He is talented, but sometimes waits for the game to come to him instead of attacking with his skills. Wanting to make the smart play is great and a credit to his high hockey IQ, but he needs to assert himself with every shift. Further development and maturation will hopefully correct that, especially as he plays with even more skilled and experienced players at the next level. Hopefully improvements with his overall skating will also allow him to be more effective on offense.
NHL Player Comparison: Pavel Zacha
NHL ETA: 2027
Ritchie has high-end, top six potential, but don’t expect him to be an NHL contributor any time soon. His floor is lower than many other first round prospects, but his ceiling is also worth the risk. If he doesn’t pan out, he could be a talented but incomplete bottom six player. However, if he continues to improve, he could be a consistent 20 goal, 50 point player in a second line role.
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