Will Coyotes forward Brett Ritchie remain in Arizona or will he look to start fresh elsewhere?
One of the only Arizona Coyotes unrestricted free agents this offseason is right winger Brett Ritchie.
The 29-year-old forward was traded to the Coyotes from the Calgary Flames on March 3 in a deal that involved his brother Nick. Ritchie only played 16 games for Arizona where he had two goals, three assists and five points.
In just his nine seasons in the NHL, Ritchie has already played for the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, Flames and most recently the Coyotes.
Last summer, Ritchie was not signed until training camp until the Flames gave him a professional tryout deal. Ritchie ultimately signed a one-year two-way contract before the start of the 2022-23 season with Calgary.
Ritchie will most likely receive another two-way contract this summer. At Richie’s current age, he doesn't necessarily fit with the Coyotes rebuilding plan as the team is one of the youngest in the NHL currently.
Ritchie showed flashes of potential when he scored 16 goals during the 2016-17 season but his production has since dropped off.
The door is certainly not closed for a Ritchie return to Arizona but expect the veteran forward to test the open market during this upcoming free agency period starting on July 1.