The Calgary Flames have decided to re-sign forward Brett Ritchie for the 2021-22 season. He will earn $900,000 for the season. The Flames have not been particularly active this offseason, but this could be the first of many moves for the Alberta franchise. The team announced the signing Thursday afternoon.
The #Flames have re-signed Brett Ritchie to a one-year deal.
Welcome back to the #CofRed, Rich! https://t.co/LuwOh1NItZ
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) July 15, 2021
Flames Re-Sign Brett Ritchie
Ritchie had a very average campaign as a bottom-six option in 2020-21. He scored just four goals and eight points in 32 games for the Flames while averaging 11:22 per night. It is clear that he had far more value as a physical presence with 97 hits. It’s not that he was bad on offence; a 53.3 percent Corsi For and -.9 relative Corsi are no worse than average for many NHL skaters, but Ritchie has a very obvious role based on his first seven seasons in the league.
The Dallas Stars originally drafted Ritchie in the second round of the 2011 Draft, but he has played for three different franchises in his career. He signed as a free agent with the Boston Bruins in the summer of 2019. He then signed a free agent contract last summer to join Calgary. Overall, the 6’4″ Orangeville, Ontario native has 300 games under his belt with 39 goals, 68 points, and 756 hits. He is the exact sort of modern bruiser teams value because he can help control the puck and check the opposition.
What Comes Next
Calgary is far from done regarding its offseason decisions. They have a handful of both forwards and defenders that need new deals before the 2021-22 season begins. The most important are probably Dillon Dube and Jusso Valimaki, but they also need a backup goaltender. The team also has just $13.6 million in current cap space, so the roster squeeze might result in a high-priced player being exposed in the expansion draft or traded in the next few weeks.
Main Photo:
