Adam Overby Verified Member Posted September 3 Share Posted September 3 View full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnfaninnc Verified Member Posted September 3 Share Posted September 3 Quote With Ritchie’s growth potential and proven track record of success, he has the makings to become a future NHL top-6 right-wing sniper if he continues this trajectory. Still, the young forward must improve his physicality to compete in the NHL. This is the paragraph that ODC will focus on. Why? Because Ryder Ritchie has no proven track record in a league bigger than major jrs. and his scoring record there was exactly impressive. Don't get me wrong, he contributed well, but it was nothing like Heidt's season. I'll give him some credit for being on a terrible team and still producing. But, let's face it, nobody knows what will happen once he starts playing against hungry A players. He's a good looking rookie, I like the RHS part, but he's got to do the little things that separates him from the pack. Those things include adding bulk and quicker skating with better edges. Hopefully, after drafting him, and talking with Guerin, he got the message to create himself a bonafide NHL body. These kids have little idea of how much stronger 2 leagues up are. It almost needs to be pounded into them! I really hope he's good and makes it. It would be very nice if we actually got 3 of these draft picks into regular roles in the N. From my eyes, we seem to be building a pretty good core of players within 5 years of each other. This looks like a contending method to me. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Up North Guy Verified Member Posted September 3 Share Posted September 3 Did Ritchie's kid brother write this? I am looking forward to seeing what he can do as any Wild fan, but I am not sure I have ever seen an article with as many superlatives. It would be great to see this kid excel. I think I would like to wait on all the high level praise until he succeeds above the major junior level. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imyourhuckleberry Verified Member Posted September 3 Share Posted September 3 Coming off the injury, he put together a solid season. The upcoming season should be more informative now that he's supposed to be playing on a more competitive team. I imagine most of these kids know who on the opposing teams has been drafted when they hit the ice and everyone is looking to make a name for themselves. Hopefully Ryder Ritchie can raise his game and develop NHL strength to complement the solid speed/skill components that had people projecting him near the end of the 1st round. Top 50 prospect is a good place to start. Looks like around 2/3 of 1st and 2nd round picks eventually make it to the NHL for at least 80 games, with 1st round picks bringing up that average a lot. Historically, hitting on a major prospect at pick #45 isn't real high, with a lot of guys that did not make it or barely made NHL ice, but Brock Faber was the 45th pick in 2020, so there's some hope. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnt Toast Verified Member Posted September 3 Share Posted September 3 I’ve got high expectations for Ryder to not only get to the NHL, but make an impact for the Wild. He grew up in a family around NHLers. He knows what he’s got to do these next few developmental years. My guess is he won’t be fighting for a roster spot until 2027. Until then he’s definitely going to be improving. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacGyver Verified Member Posted September 3 Share Posted September 3 The season can't start soon enough. All this putting a shine on these kids has brought on a severe case of prospect fatigue! 😵💫 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willy the poor boy Verified Member Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 2 hours ago, MacGyver said: The season can't start soon enough. All this putting a shine on these kids has brought on a severe case of prospect fatigue! 😵💫 I'm Jonesin for a KK hat trick! 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imyourhuckleberry Verified Member Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 Went to check how the KHL season started and discovered that Yurov wasn't ready at the start of the season due to a shoulder surgery, and discovered an interview I had not read before, so sharing those notes here. Quote "Hockey has changed dramatically under the new coach," Yurov said. "Even Kirill Kaprizov has started playing differently. I haven't figured out what kind of hockey the coach creates. It was clearer with the previous coach. Oh well. I'll have a whole year to learn the principles of the game, especially since the Wild send me clips of how the team plays so that I can note the details for myself." After winning the Gagarin Cup, the Wild congratulated Yurov on their social networks, which pleasantly shocked the hockey player. "It's always nice to receive congratulations," Yurov said. "It means that they're watching me. When they posted a few posts with me, I was a little shocked. I immediately started getting subscribers and likes. I got 500-600 more followers on Instagram. It was nice to know that even from a distance of almost 10,000 km, they saw me and understood the significance of the title I won." Yurov said he has permanent contact with Wild European scout Ivan Nepryaev and director of player development Brad Bombardier. When Nepryaev attended the NHL Draft in Las Vegas in June, Yurov had a video call with general manager Bill Guerin. "We talked about everything for about 30-40 minutes," Yurov said. "He's a very nice guy, cheerful. It's nice when they make you understand you're not just another prospect. He tries to behave like that with everyone. He understands that when a young player communicates with the second person in the organization, it gives him confidence. I felt that they believed in me." Yurov's past season was extremely successful, but he believes he still has room to grow. This is especially true since he spent the entire championship with a shoulder injury, which required surgery after he won the Cup. "I had surgery at the same clinic as Evgeny Kuznetsov, who had a similar problem. There's even a T-shirt with his autograph hanging there. As for the recovery time, I could be ready to play somewhere around mid-September. My main personal goal for the new season is to add consistency. And the team's goal is to defend the title." -- Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports That shoulder injury may help explain why his scoring wasn't at the same level during the playoffs as it had been in the regular season. Guess we may have to wait a few weeks for more Yurov highlights. In case anyone is wondering, his team lost 3-2 in the KHL opener without him. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredJohnson Verified Member Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 19 hours ago, Willy the poor boy said: I'm Jonesin for a KK hat trick! Good thing his middle name is Olegovich and not a name that starts with a K. 😳 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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