[Signing] Flames, Ritchie agree to one year deal, $750,000 / 1 yr

[Monahammer]

Can't we just PTO him like Stone? Would rather have Eakins on the 4th line/ as the 13th forward.

Why the hell did we even sign Rooney?

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Can't we just PTO him like Stone? Would rather have Eakins on the 4th line/ as the 13th forward.

Why the hell did we even sign Rooney?

He can put either player on waivers with little penalty. Otherwise, it is good to have serviceable vets in the press box over rookies who could get quality minutes in the AHL and get called up with little difficulty.

[stemit14]

He plays his role well. Wonder if this signing suggests flames management are not expecting any of the young prospects to make the big club out of camp.

I think a few guys played well in Penticton but no one dominated in those games so I’m not confident any will be making the team at this point. Obviously a good showing at the main camp could change minds but I think it will take a big camp to force management’s hand.


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[joejoe3]

He did score 2g in 7 games in the playoffs for us...

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Would a Pto not make more sense? Beat Milano and Eakins and it's yours. No.. ok.

[bubbsy]

Ritchie is a fine 4th liner to me

[Flamesfan05]

At least we know what we from Ritchie, nothing

[Jiri Hrdina]

He's the Michael Stone of forwards.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Would a Pto not make more sense? Beat Milano and Eakins and it's yours. No.. ok.

Sounds like the Oilers offered him a PTO.

[SuperMatt18]

Paging TheScorpion...

The key is him being less than $1M, and being the 13 or 14th forward.

He's good in that role and brings energy as a guy you can plug in for a game here or there.

Problem has been in Calgary the coaches fall in love with him and end up playing top 9 where he just kills all offense. But if he's close to league minimum contract, and used as a 13th forward, then this is perfectly line.

[Macho0978]

Loved him 2 years ago. Last year he got hurt.

I think he's worth having around if he can stay healthy.

[cowtown75]

I'm ok with this as a 4th liner. He's big, fast, and finishes his checks with an edge.

[PuckSlap]

This is being molded into a sutter team. Maybe Johnny and Mathew left because of him…. He might have sat down with them and said a few things.

[GioforPM]

Ritchie is a guy where you look at his tools and wonder why he didn't have more success. Big, pretty fast, decent shot, physical. He just has never put it together.

I thought Edmonton would sign him because he scored against them.

[Monahammer]

I see a lot of peeps in this thread supporting Richie as a 4th liner.
Cool, but we already have 4 4th liners with contracts today: Dube-Lucic-Rooney-Lewis
And we have a host of prospects looking to push into the big club.

We're already giving a PTO to Eakins, too. IMO Eakins is much better than Ritchie and fills the same role. So where does Ritchie go? It's a waste of cap space and a contract spot to give this guy a contract outright at this time.

[Stormchaser]

I doubt if the Flames brass see Dube as a 4th liner. He's a 3rd liner who can easily move up to play on the 2nd line comfortably if needed.

The Flames know what they have in Ritchie and Ritchie knows this as well. Making him sign a PTO at this point would be a slap in the face perhaps?? Sign me or I'll go tryout in Coilerville??

[SportsJunky]

Dube is a 4th liner?

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by Stormchaser

I doubt if the Flames brass see Dube as a 4th liner. He's a 3rd liner who can easily move up to play on the 2nd line comfortably if needed.

The Flames know what they have in Ritchie and Ritchie knows this as well. Making him sign a PTO at this point would be a slap in the face perhaps?? Sign me or I'll go tryout in Coilerville??

Why? Stone signed a PTO and I think Stone is more valuable than him. If he wants to try out in Coilerville, be my guest.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I see a lot of peeps in this thread supporting Richie as a 4th liner.
Cool, but we already have 4 4th liners with contracts today: Dube-Lucic-Rooney-Lewis
And we have a host of prospects looking to push into the big club.

We're already giving a PTO to Eakins, too. IMO Eakins is much better than Ritchie and fills the same role. So where does Ritchie go? It's a waste of cap space and a contract spot to give this guy a contract outright at this time.

Dube isn't a 4th liner on today's roster. He wasn't a 4th liner on last years roster.

Huberdeau - Lindholm - Mangiapane
Dube - Kadri - Toffoli
??? - Backlund - Coleman
Lucic - Rooney - Lewis
Ritchie

Really Pelletier, Ruzicka, Milano are probably fighting for the ??? spot in the middle six.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

Dube is a 4th liner?

Probably a 3rd liner, but people have been trying to fill up our top 9 spots in a variety of ways not involving Dube, which really leaves him only one line to fill.

If you see us signing one more top 6 RW, then we have:

Huberdeau-Lindholm- Toffoli/Other RW
Mangiapane-Kadri-Toffoli/Other RW

Then a lot of people want to see Pelletier on the backlund wing. Or Milano now that we have him on a PTO as well. Say Milano.

Milano-Backlund-Coleman

So Dube is left for the 4th line.

If Milano fills the top 6 spot, we bring no rookies up, we still have 3 already signed 4th liners and a PTO out to a better one than Ritchie.