During Saturday evening’s 32 Thoughts segment on Hockey Night in Canada, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman updated fans on the status of trade talks involving Nick Ritchie. Revisiting the idea that Toronto is trying to move the player and potentially shed themselves of Ritchie’s contract, he notes there might be traction on a trade.
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That the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to trade Ritchie isn’t surprising. That they’ve potentially found a taker might be. A player many in the Toronto media thought was going to be their next ideal power-forward fit after Zach Hyman left for the Edmonton Oilers, Ritchie has been nothing short of a disaster signing. With only two goals and nine points in 33 games, he’s not turned out as expected. Still, Friedman reports that there has been some interest from other teams in the last few days, and moving Ritchie might be possible.
The catch here is that teams are wanting Toronto to retain some salary in the deal and GM Kyle Dubas isn’t exactly eager to do so. Part of that is because he wants the salary cap flexibility to do his own shopping at this year’s deadline. The other part of that is Ritchie isn’t a terribly expensive player to buy out. If Toronto can’t move him, they can buy him out and it would only cost the Maple Leafs $300K on next season’s cap. If teams want Toronto to retain more than that on his $2.5 million salary, Toronto isn’t exactly being incentivized to do so.
Can Dubas Move Ritchie After All?
It was expected the Maple Leafs might be stuck with the forward. He’s currently down in the AHL and his salary seemed like one the team might be stuck with. But, if teams are calling to say they’ll either take on his contract for a sweetener, or a franchise actually thinks he can help, Toronto might have a way out of that contract.
Friedman didn’t specify which teams were intrigued by the idea of a trade so we’ll have to keep our eyes and ears open.
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Afp1961
February 13, 2022 at 12:04 pm
I’m surprised just as much ad the tiger and many other leafs are that there may be a taker out there. I’d surmise it would be with major conditions namely a pick and likely salary retention.
Would t be the least surprised if the leaf media machine is also drumming up artificial interest articles to see if something can be shaken free.
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gfinale
February 14, 2022 at 12:39 pm
Incorrect, it doesn’t just cost the Leafs 300k cap next year to buy Ritchie out, it also costs them 1.1 mil the next year!
gfinale
February 14, 2022 at 12:43 pm
If a team picks someone from waivers, that player must stay in the NHL, they cannot be put directly into the minors so Ritchie may have more value to a team since he has already cleared waivers and in the minors. Still, this isn’t a regular type of trade, it’s all one sided where the Leafs will need to pay to get rid of him in the form of draft pick(s), prospect(s) and/or retaining salary. 2.5 was way too much for this borderline NHLer.