Biggs-Gauthier-Ritchie.

Marlies 4th line for years to come.
- Feeling Glucky?

Nice - Leafs ensure they build the best 4th line in the NHL by choosing those guys in the 1st round. Now on to the 3rd line.

When was the last time a highly touted powerforward prospect outside of the top-3 wasn't a bust?

Don't worry leaf fans. This likely won't happen. The Flames will be picking him in the 4th slot.

typical Leaf fan response.. HAting the guy and predicting 4th line before he is even chosen..

typical Leaf fan response.. HAting the guy and predicting 4th line before he is even chosen..
- Popcorn Kid

The Leafs keep picking guys like this. Size over skill.

It's not working.

The Leafs keep picking guys like this. Size over skill.

It's not working.
- Feeling Glucky?

Kadri, Morgan Rielly, Matt Finn are bruisers

The Leafs keep picking guys like this. Size over skill.

It's not working.
- Feeling Glucky?

then we will pick a skilled guy and the first posts from most would be too soft etc.. Since I don't see enough of these kids who would everyone take at #8?? Realistically??

There are a lot of good things about ritchie. His size, he supposedly has excellent hands for a guy his size... but the injuries and health seem to be a concern, as does consistency.


It's the type of pick that if he lives up to his billing (or even some of it) will pay off huge down the road. My biggest concern with him would be the thinking that "well if he doesn't turn into a top 6, at least he's a surefire 3-4th liner/banger/checker". I do not want to draft a guy because it's safe, because if he doesn't live up to the hype at least he's a big body that can play in the bottom half of the lineup.


Bob MacKenzie has him #6 and the sportsnet twerps were talking about him even higher than that. Perhaps he'l be gone by #8 and we don't have to worry about making that choice

The Leafs keep picking guys like this. Size over skill.

It's not working.
- Feeling Glucky?

When did it happen though that guys with size can't have skill? Nothing really stated about this guy says that he's a grinder who doesn't have the ability to produce offensively, he just has size to go with it.

It's really as bad as people discounting the smaller players because they are small. Size is part of who they are, but it just comes down to looking at what they can do as a whole.

Ritchie had 0.44 goals/game this season. From the comments section of Lighthouse Hockey yesterday (courtesy of commenter North Dakota Red Eagle):

"0.44 puts Ritchie tied for 7th out of 43 players drafted Top 10 since 2003.

PKane, Tavares, Seguin, Fabbri all elite at 0.53+
0.49 Stamkos
0.45 Landeskog
0.44 Bennett, Skinner, Ritchie
0.43 Yakupov
0.42 Grabner
0.40 Ennis

These are all the players from the OHL/WHL drafted in the first round since 2003 to score 0.40+ goals/game in their pre-draft season"

Ritchie isn't Tyler Biggs 2.0, as someone said earlier.

then we will pick a skilled guy and the first posts from most would be too soft etc.. Since I don't see enough of these kids who would everyone take at #8?? Realistically??
- Popcorn Kid

Tavares bc he wants to be a Leaf

then we will pick a skilled guy and the first posts from most would be too soft etc.. Since I don't see enough of these kids who would everyone take at #8?? Realistically??
- Popcorn Kid

I'd like a skilled, smart player with heart.

Tavares bc he wants to be a Leaf
- eichiefs9

I luff him.

I'd like a skilled, smart player with heart.
- Woderwick

23 of them..

Kadri, Morgan Rielly, Matt Finn are bruisers
- PinkSock

talking about guys like Biggs, Gauthier, Devane.

There are a lot of good things about ritchie. His size, he supposedly has excellent hands for a guy his size... but the injuries and health seem to be a concern, as does consistency.


It's the type of pick that if he lives up to his billing (or even some of it) will pay off huge down the road. My biggest concern with him would be the thinking that "well if he doesn't turn into a top 6, at least he's a surefire 3-4th liner/banger/checker". I do not want to draft a guy because it's safe, because if he doesn't live up to the hype at least he's a big body that can play in the bottom half of the lineup.


Bob MacKenzie has him #6 and the sportsnet twerps were talking about him even higher than that. Perhaps he'l be gone by #8 and we don't have to worry about making that choice
- burn

I think we are just a little gun shy looking at Biggs and Gauthier's play last year...which mat not be fair to Ritchie.

23 of them..
- bixll

Touche'

When did it happen though that guys with size can't have skill? Nothing really stated about this guy says that he's a grinder who doesn't have the ability to produce offensively, he just has size to go with it.

It's really as bad as people discounting the smaller players because they are small. Size is part of who they are, but it just comes down to looking at what they can do as a whole.
- FlareKnight

the concern with guys like this is they do better in the OHL because physically speaking, they've matured earlier than others.

That means that where they are now isn't too far from where they're going to be when all's said and done, and they've developed their game based on being the biggest baddest guys in their league- something that won't be true in the NHL.

Add to that the fact that he's already got consistency problems, and he makes for a scary pick.

If he's the guy the Leafs draft, I'm not going to hate on him right away, like HH with Gardiner, I'll give him a few years(so long as he doesn't show signs of regression), but I'd much rather they pick someone else.

Tavares bc he wants to be a Leaf
- eichiefs9

No, were going to get him for nothing next year

I think we are just a little gun shy looking at Biggs and Gauthier's play last year...which mat not be fair to Ritchie.
- Woderwick

Yeah, that certainly could come into play. Easy to see patterns and get uneasy.

Though with Gauthier it's not like we were surprised there. Big defensive center, and basically is continuing along those lines. And even then looking at how the rest of the first round turned out I don't think it was the worst pick. Just got scooped by Detroit who got Mantha a pick earlier.

There are a lot of good things about ritchie. His size, he supposedly has excellent hands for a guy his size... but the injuries and health seem to be a concern, as does consistency.


It's the type of pick that if he lives up to his billing (or even some of it) will pay off huge down the road. My biggest concern with him would be the thinking that "well if he doesn't turn into a top 6, at least he's a surefire 3-4th liner/banger/checker". I do not want to draft a guy because it's safe, because if he doesn't live up to the hype at least he's a big body that can play in the bottom half of the lineup.


Bob MacKenzie has him #6 and the sportsnet twerps were talking about him even higher than that. Perhaps he'l be gone by #8 and we don't have to worry about making that choice
- burn

this.

Worth the gamble obviously?
- Woderwick

Oh ya

When was the last time a highly touted powerforward prospect outside of the top-3 wasn't a bust?
- Feeling Glucky?

Evander Kane?

I think we are just a little gun shy looking at Biggs and Gauthier's play last year...which mat not be fair to Ritchie.
- Woderwick

I'm not even basing it on that though. I don't matter to me. I just don't want them to make a decision because he could play 4th line if he doesn't work out.

4th line is the new 2nd line courtesy of the Kings