Nick Ritchie

Ritchie had a strange season. He bolted the Bruins last summer for the division-rival Maple Leafs, but was unable to keep his spot in the lineup following a slow start to the year. He bounced back and forth between the NHL and AHL before a February trade to Arizona. Given a much more substantial role on a considerably weaker team, Ritchie posted 10 goals and 14 points in 24 games for the Coyotes before an upper-body injury ended his season prematurely. Ritchie loves to throw the body around and has proven to be a reasonable source of secondary scoring, so he should enter the year in a top-nine role for Arizona, although his margin for error is likely quite small.

In what many considered a shocking move following a season in which he posted a career-high 15 goals, the Bruins elected not to make Ritchie a qualifying offer this offseason. Instead he headed to unrestricted free agency where Toronto was waiting to award him a new two-year, $5 million deal. Ritchie plays a direct, no nonsense game and has for years. Ritchie's increased offensive production was directly related to his increased time with the man advantage. He saw 2:45 worth of power-play time per game for Boston in 2020-21 after never averaging more than 1:35 per game in any of his five prior NHL seasons. As such, Ritchie's fantasy value hinges on him reprising his net-front role on the power play with his new team. If he doesn't, fantasy owners are looking at about 10 goals and 150 hits from the newest Leaf.

Ritchie started the 2019-20 campaign with the Ducks, picking up 19 points and 78 PIM in 41 games before being sent to Boston at the trade deadline, where he added two points in seven regular-season contests and one goal in eight postseason appearances. Looking ahead to 2020-21, Ritchie should continue to average around two hits per game while chipping in on the scoresheet every now and then, but that won't be enough to make him worthy of fantasy consideration, particularly because he'll likely sit as a healthy scratch on occasion.

A contract dispute early in the year and injuries later on didn't stop Ritchie from having his best season yet as a pro in 2018-19, posting 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in just 60 games. The 234-pounder also contributed 123 hits and 82 penalty minutes while settling into his role as the physical force on the Ducks' second line. The 23-year-old has yet to play a full 82-game schedule -- in part due to his heavy playing style -- but an increased role could make him an intriguing fantasy option this year. Expect the 6-foot-2 winger to approach 40 points, 200 hits and 100 PIM if he can stay healthy in 2019-20.

A 6-foot-2, 234-pound frame gave Ritchie the confidence to lead the Ducks in hits for two straight seasons, dishing out 247 and 221, respectively. His size can hold him back in the speed department, but the Ontario native makes up for it with astute positioning and puck-handling, registering 24 goals and 31 helpers over the last two years. Ritchie accomplished this while logging bottom-six minutes, but the 22-year-old will battle Andrew Cogliano for the second-line left-wing spot this year. How Ritchie would respond to facing opponents' top defenders nightly is a reason for concern, and the return of Patrick Eaves (illness) could complicate things. Ritchie's undetermined role on the team is enough concern for fantasy owners to take a wait-and-see approach.

Ritchie’s 2016-17 results need to be viewed with the proper lens. Yes, his 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in 77 games look pedestrian at first glance, but the 6-foot-2, 232-pound power winger hit that value despite averaging a tick below 13 minutes per contest. Moreover, he has the attention of team brass having buried four goals -- including a pair of game-winners -- on last season’s playoff stage. Ritchie effectively uses his size to his advantage, and it results in steady production across the board. Entering his third season, Ritchie is the type of player you’ll likely want to pounce on before he becomes a household name in fantasy circles.

Ritchie, the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, is a big, nasty, skilled winger who is like a dog after a bone -- he never, ever gives up in his pursuit of the puck. And he’ll go through a wall to get it. He hits, he scores and he scares the snot out of opposing defenders just like Milan Lucic does. And it’s that combination that has scouts salivating. He has struggled through injuries in junior. And his weight is a bit of an issue (230 pounds). But he’s a potential multi-category fantasy stud...as long as he’s more Lucic than Nathan Horton.