Signing the entry-level contract with Colorado could signal big things for the dynamic forward in the near future.
The Colorado Avalanche announce today that they have signed Oshawa Generals forward Calum Ritchie to a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value of $950,000.
Colorado selected Ritchie 27th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
At 6-foot-2 Ritchie is a rangy forward with strong skating skills and slick evasive abilities. He is a handful for any defender one-on-one with his speed and deceptive skills. He has a good shot that is both accurate and strong.
What really stands out though is Ritchie's hockey sense. He dissects situations, anticipating gaps to jump into and maneuvers defenders in ways that he can exploit with his impressive skillset.
Over the course of three seasons with the Generals, Ritchie managed to prove that he is a gifted forward.
Oshawa drafted him second overall in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. During his rookie season, Ritchie finished 16th in rookie scoring with 19 goals and 26 assists in 65 games.
During his draft season, he was named an alternate captain, and scored 24 goals and 35 assists for a total of 59 points in 59 games played.
That year, he also had a huge season internationally. He scored four goals and added six assists to lead Canada in scoring at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup where the team won gold.
He was third in scoring (3 goals, 6 assists) for Canada at the U-18 World Junior Championships where the team won a bronze medal.
This past season, Ritchie led the Generals in points with 28 goals and 52 assists for a thumping total of 80 points in only 50 games.
In the playoffs, he was a critical part of the Generals finals run scoring eight goals and 22 assists in 21 games. Although the Generals were ultimately swept by the London Knights, Ritchie came second in playoff scoring.
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With the current situation in Colorado, it is not inconceivable that Ritchie could find himself on the roster to start the season.
During the playoffs, Valeri Nichushkin was suspended six months without pay and placed in Stage III of the league's Player Assistance Program. As a result he will be unavailable for the beginning of the season.
It is also unclear whether Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will be available for opening night. The Swedish forward missed all of the 2022-23 season due to multiple knee surgeries.
If both remain unavailable, Colorado will need to find a way to fill the void. Ritchie may have an opportunity to win one of these spots with a good showing in training camp.
If he does crack the opening lineup, Colorado fans can expect the young forward to make an impact on the ice with his elite offensive skills and large frame.
It will be up to Ritchie to prove whether he can take the spot that may be available in Colorado at the start of the season.
If Ritchie starts the season in Colorado, that may put the Generals in an awkward position. With Rasmus Kumpulainen announcing his return to Finland, the team would be down to veteran forwards leaving their offense in a questionable position.
In this case, it will likely fall to players like Beckett Sennecke and Ben Danford to pick up the slack in the event that Ritchie starts the season away from the team.