[Sandman]

More Draft Thoughts:

RW Ryder Ritchie (say that three times fast) is a Calgary boy, and the son of former Flame Byron Ritchie, as well as the nephew of Andreas Johansson- another former Flame. Currently, he is toiling with the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders, who sit at 15th overall, picking up 31 points in 34 games- although he is injured right now. It's puzzling as to why his production this season has flatlined, as he amassed 55 points in 61 games in 2022-23, totals that would foretell of much greater draft year numbers. Berkly Catton, for example, had 55 points in 63 games in 2022-23, and is currently on pace for well over 100 points, and although they are different players with different skillsets, their respective situations are quite similar. Prince Albert went from 18th overall last year (19th in goals-for) to 15th this season (14th in goals-for), whereas Catton's Spokane Chiefs were 21st last year (20th in goals-for), and 19th (13th in goals-for) in this year's campaign. Ritchie was second in scoring to Catton for Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and tied for 4th in the tourney, with 9 points in 5 games, and both players were standouts. Eliteprospects has him listed at 6'0", 174lbs, although most other publications have him listed as being smaller. Ritchie is a far better player than his stat line would indicate, and he's an offensive talent with high-end skill, IQ, and vision.
Ritchie appeared to have a clunky-looking skating stride in my viewings at the Hlinka, but his rather upright stance and choppiness generated surprising power and quickness. Even without perfect skating, he owns excellent speed and acceleration, but perhaps not the greatest balance. He's fantastic on his edges, giving him the escapability to shake off checkers. Scouts rave about his puckhandling, and he's confident with the puck on his stick, with great 1-on-1 skills to make opponents look foolish. Ritchie is a dual threat offensive winger, with an attack mentality, but he specializes in goal-scoring. His shooting has built-in deception, with the ability to change the angle of his stick in motion in order to fool goalies. He has a deep arsenal of hard, accurate shots with pinpoint accuracy, and a sublime release. He possesses good hands in tight as well, with a nose for the net, and the ability to beat goalies with toe-drags and dekes. Even though he likes to shoot a lot, he's also a talented playmaker with creativity and vision, who can generate a ton of chances.
Though he's obviously an offensive specialist, Ritchie is an effective player in the other 2 zones as well. As one would expect, his speed, puck control, and elusiveness make him the ideal candidate to lead the rush. He's defensively aware, and exhibits good positioning with an active stick- although he has been criticized for his urgency in this area. He can come off as a bit lackadaisical from time to time when it comes to backchecking. He has no fear, and wins puck battles with sheer tenacity, but he needs more strength to help him for when he turns pro. Ritchie, like his Father, has guts, high motor, and a great work ethic. He's a sure-fire first-rounder.

LHC Berkly Catton had an eye-catching Hlinka Gretzky Cup performance as Captain of Team Canada, scoring in each game and ending up with 8 goals in 5 games. He was first in tournament goal-scoring by 3, and led all skaters in points, with 10. To date, he has amassed 67 points in just 41 games with Spokane of the WHL, a pace that puts him on a 111-point trajectory, on a team that sits currently in 19th place, and 13th in goals-for. Catton leads the team in points by 7, and is 19 points ahead of the 3rd-highest scorer. He's capable of playing all 3 forward positions, both sides of special teams, and you can put him out when your team is down, or when you are protecting a lead.
Catton is a special talent, a complete player, and is said to be one of the best playmakers in this Draft. He can get tape-to-tape passes off through traffic, and has a wide variety of ways he can distribute. He sets pace, drives play, and is a dazzling offensive weapon- always a step or two ahead of everyone else. He possesses elite skill, IQ, spatial awareness, and vision, and always makes good decisions with the puck. Catton is also a dynamic skater with blistering speed, and effortless agility and edges. He's highly elusive, with excellent lateral mobility and changes of pace. Defenders often end up looking stupid trying to play him 1-on-1, as his puck-control is infallible, and he protects well, with stunning 1-on-1 skill. He rarely loses the puck or overhandles, it's like it's glued to his stick. It's seemingly impossible to get a takeaway from him, and he's composed and confident under pressure. Catton is a clutch player with unending motor and compete, and has a slight chip on his shoulder, evidenced by his 33 PIMs.
Catton's shot is quick and accurate, and obviously effective, but he doesn't use it enough, and needs to work on it's power. He likes to weave in and out of the high slot, and has the hands to capitalize on tips and rebounds, as well as the moves to beat goalies in tight. Catton is always in the thick of the action, does all the little things to win, and backchecks hard. He's a quality defensive player, and is always in position to pressure attackers with stick checks, and take away time and space- when he's not outright beating them to pucks with his speed. There's very little to nitpick here, except maybe size- he's listed at 5'11",163lbs, so he needs to bulk up significantly, and get much stronger. Even then, the team that drafts him may elect to keep him on the wing, rather than center. Look for him in the top-10.