The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed power forward Nick Ritchie.

Ritchie, 25, is coming off a reasonably successful season with the Boston Bruins, where he put up 15 goals and 11 assists for 26 points in 56 games. Despite this, the Bruins ultimately decided that his qualifying offer was too rich for their liking, and he was allowed to walk as a free agent.

If Ritchie’s name sounds familiar, it’s because some old-school fans wanted the Leafs to draft him in 2014. The Leafs instead took William Nylander eighth overall, while the Anaheim Ducks took Ritchie tenth. The Leafs unequivocally made the right choice there, but Ritchie has still developed into a useful player, who can chip in some goal-scoring. A natural LW, Ritchie should compete for a role with either Auston Matthews or John Tavares and could take advantage of rebounds and tips. Failing that, he might offer some offence in a fairly defensive-oriented bottom six.

Welcome to Toronto, Nick.

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Free Agents and Contracts