Fans reeling after Patrick Roy delivers strong words on former Avalanche top prospect
Photo credit: Thomas Salus / Imagn Images
Fans are stunned after New York Islanders coach Patrick Roy delivers harsh remarks about former Colorado Avalanche top prospect Calum Ritchie.
When the Islanders acquired Ritchie from the Avalanche as part of the Brock Nelson trade, they recognized they were adding a player who could contribute to the franchise for years to come.
Patrick Roy delivers strong words about Calum Ritchie.
Stefan Rosner from The Hockey News writes that by choosing to keep Jean-Gabriel Pageau, entering the final year of his contract, and shifting Mathew Barzal back to center, the Islanders effectively revealed their intentions for Ritchie's role in the organization.
Although Ritchie is capable of playing wing, he spent all seven of his NHL games with Colorado there last season, scoring once against Ilya Sorokin, Roy sees his true value as a center.
"He'd be fine [on the wing]. But, he's hard to move from center right now." -Roy
Ritchie, who notched a goal and an assist in his first preseason outing with the Islanders, a 6-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, will have another opportunity to showcase his skills Thursday against New York Rangers.
What does Roy want to see?
"I thought he played really well against their top line. He'll probably do the same today. I want to see him keep playing that way and see how, when things aren't going his way, how he's going to react. And these are good things for us to see from him." -Roy
And what's the organization's plan for Ritchie long-term?
"I think we want him to play as much as possible [in the preseason], and we'll go from there. He's probably not going to play tomorrow, but we want to see how he does. And yes, he's going to play a lot of games. I think what he's doing right now is just making our decision so much tougher, and that's what you want. I mean, I don't think he came here just to make an impression. He wants to make the team. So, I mean, we cannot ask for a better scenario for ourselves." -Roy
While Ritchie faces long odds to make the team, it's still possible. The next two weeks of preseason and the injury picture will determine his fate.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 25 | 17 ANSWERS Fans reeling after Patrick Roy delivers strong words on former Avalanche top prospect Do you think the Avalanche should have held on to Calum Ritchie when they had the chance? | ||
| yes | 15 | 88.2 % |
| no | 2 | 11.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
