With the New York Islanders having a boatload of centermen, it may seem that Calum Ritchie’s chances of making the big club this fall are slim.
But that doesn’t mean it’s a no.
Islanders Prospect Calum Ritchie Draws High Praise From OHL CoachesNew York Islanders prospect and Oshawa Generals forward Calum Ritchie received impressive recognition in the annual Ontario Hockey League coaches poll.
Jeff Marek of 'The Sheet' asked Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche about Ritchie, who the club acquired at the 2025 NHL trade deadline as part of the return with the Colorado Avalanche for Brock Nelson.
“If Calum comes to training camp and he outplays everyone, I’ll make room for him on the roster,” Darche said.
That’s exactly what a general manager should say about a young player who got a taste of what the NHL life was like, playing seven games for the Avalanche last season before being loaned back to the OHL’s Oshawa Generals for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
However, with Mathew Barzal going back to center and Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Casey Cizikas rounding out the center depth, there’s not really any room down the middle for the 20-year-old former 27th overall pick in 2023.
But it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that Cizikas or Pageau, really, could be moved to the wing.
Both, for certain stretches — Cizikas more than Pageau — played on the wing, so that’s an option if the Islanders want Ritchie to develop as a center.
On the flip side, there’s certainly an opening on the wings for Ritchie if he shows a comfortability there.
The only thing we know about the wingers, at this point in time, is that Jonathan Drouin will be playing with Bo Horvat. That’s it.
The other configurations, which include who will round out the “top line,” are unknown at this time with countless possibilities.
There’s no question that Ritchie could beat out Kyle MacLean, Pierre Engvall and Marc Gatcomb for an extra job, but there’s no point in him making the team and not being an everyday player.
If that’s how this all plays out, getting 30 games under Rocky Thompson in Bridgeport is certainly better for his development.
But when it comes to playing every day, could Ritchie finish training camp ahead of Maxim Shabanov or Maxim Tsyplakov, or even Anthony Duclair on the wing depth charts?
Could Ritchie, given his strong skating and playmaking, be someone who can play on Pageau’s wing?
It’s unlikely that Ritchie would get a chance to play on Barzal’s wing, given that both are playmaking forwards — and the whole point of Barzal going back to center is likely because Ritchie isn’t ready to be a No. 2.
But, hey, if Ritchie proves he can be a No. 2 as soon as this fall, that changes everything for how the Islanders can configure their lineup. Barzal could round out the Horvat-Drouin line, and head coach Patrick Roy can go from there.
It wouldn’t be the first time a prospect has shocked an organization in terms of their development progress. It would be the first time in a while that it’s happened on Long Island.
To sum things up, Ritchie making the Islanders shouldn’t shock anyone.
The one thing we know is that Darche values the AHL in terms of development, which is why he had a heavy focus this summer on revamping Bridgeport.
At the end of the day, Darche wants to win. Roy wants to win. And if Ritchie gives the Islanders the best chance at doing that on a consistent basis, he’ll be on this team for the 2025-26 season — whether that’s at center or wing.