With the 45th pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Minnesota Wild have selected Ryder Ritchie from the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League (WHL)
About Ryder Ritchie
Ryder Ritchie, a 6-foot-0 winger out of the WHL, has a lot of skill. He seems to have a high level of offensive upside, displaying a great shot and good skating ability. His scoring in both transition and inside the offensive zone are both strengths of his, which can go a long way if he can make it to the NHL.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft: Live Tracker
Ritchie only put up 19 goals and 25 assists for 44 points in 47 games, which placed him just 12th among age-17 skaters in the WHL. However, that seems to be a bit deceiving. He is one of those cases where points don’t display what he does offensively in an accurate light. Even then, his totals should dramatically increase in 2024-25, as he is an August birthday and one of the youngest players in his draft class.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“Ritchie is a playmaking winger who plays with a ton of skill and is really tough for defenders to nail down. Ritchie was named rookie of the year in the WHL last season (2022-23) on a Prince Albert Raiders team that finished in the league’s bottom five. Expectations were increased for Ritchie this season, and he started off the year with a bang, scoring nine points in five games for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
“Ritchie carried that momentum into the first few weeks of the regular season, though he slowed down in December and then missed some time with an injury shortly after. It took him a while to get his footing, but he played his best hockey of the season down the stretch and into the Raiders’ first round playoff exit, which is always a positive. I expect Ritchie will be a big piece for Canada at the U18 World Championship coming up this Spring.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Guide
“Ritchie’s shiftiness comes from a combination of his great hands and a smooth, adaptable skating stride. He changes speeds really well and has great edges, which allow him to lose defenders effectively both with and without the puck. Ritchie has a solid shot too, especially when he does the curl-and-drag wrister that has become so popular these days.
Full player profile can be found here.
How This Affects the Wild’s Plans
The Wild bolstered an already elite young core by taking Zeev Buium with their 12th pick on night one of the draft, so they added a forward with some upside with Ritchie on day two. They have some solid forward depth with Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy, Danila Yurov, Liam Ohgren, Riley Heidt, Marco Rossi, and more. Their offense is elite, and Ritchie gives them an elite top-nine forward core. The future is very promising in Minnesota, and they could be very competitive for years to come.