Ritchie picked up just four goals and an assist in 16 games with Calgary despite being handed a top-six opportunity on’s line, and he took undisciplined penalties. He’s not skilled enough for a top-six role, while his poor defensive results and discipline issues make him a player that you can’t always trust to play a smart game in the bottom six either.
The big question is whether the offensive impact can outweigh the defensive concerns at this stage in his career. Vegas surrendered a high number of shots and scoring chances against during Kessel’s five-on-five minutes, which translated to a rate of 3.1 goals against per hour, the worst among Golden Knights forwards by a wide margin. Kessel will be another year older, turning 36 before the season starts, so there could be even further decline on the horizon this season.
future core when he scored a team-high 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games during the shortened 2020-21 campaign as a 22-year-old. He’s had two highly disappointing campaigns since then due to inconsistency and health issues. The big-bodied winger has looked slower and less engaged and has seen his production fall off significantly.