Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
Twice you have inferred that Ritchie's upside is Lucic and Lucic, as 'the best power forward in the league" is a 60 pt guy. Therefore Ritchie's upside is 60 pts.
Where did you get the notion that power forwards can only get 60 pts?
There was a guy here in Calgary once who, when he was the best power forward in the league, put up 98 pts one year, scored 50 twice, and scored 30 or more 12 years in a row.
Just because you're physically dominant, doesn't mean you can't be offensively talented as well.
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I don't want to get into this discussion again, but Iginla stopped being a power forward after the 05/06 season (for the better, mind you).
Yeah, I will say that when Iggy scored 50 goals pre-lockout, he was a power forward in the most traditional sense.
Problem is, not a single top 30 scorer plays that style in the NHL anymore. I don't think any can while putting up 80+ points at the same time.
In a prime year of his life, Iggy put up only 67 points in 82 games the year after the lockout. The next season he came into camp down 20 pounds and would have won the Hart had he not missed January with a knee injury. He completely changed the way he played.
So Jarome Iginla, the last great power forward in the NHL, only put up 67 points in his prime while playing that bruising style of hockey?
Maybe Ritchie does have Iginla power forward upside. Maybe he becomes as good as Iginla was in his prime and puts up 70 points one year.
I just don't like the odds of Ritchie being as good as Iginla was, or Lucic for that matter. The NHL just doesn't reward that kind of hockey anymore.
I think Ritchie will put up 35-45 points in the NHL regularly. Maybe that's a good bet. But from what I've read, I question his drive to reach that Lucic-Iginla potential that everyone seems to salivate over.
I think Ritchie has high bust potential in the sense that he's the least likely to reach his ceiling. Not that he will crash completely and never play a game in the NHL, but I just want more out of a 4th overall pick. I'm a little surprised that others don't feel the same.