RW Brett Ritchie, Calgary Flames
Yes, another Sasquatch with the same surname Ritchie. The Devils had faced Brett Ritchie before and saw him utilize his 6’4″, 220-pound body to throw three hits against what could be his future team. Ritchie has 48 hits in 24 games with five goals and seven points to go along with that grit and toughness.
He has no problem being an in-your-face player who will finish his checks and have no problem bullying his way to beat defenders. Not only does this set the tone, but this allows him to add offense through those gritty skills. He has speed and tenacity, which would help add a lot of emphasis to a Devil’s third or fourth line and won’t cost a team a lot in cap hit.
Brett had 21 hits in 7 playoff games and had 2 goals for the Calgary Flames in the 2021-22 playoffs. The Orangeville, Ontario native can also be a very solid low-cost, high-reward-type player under the New Jersey Devils to build a more aggressive team. He’s the kind of guy that will keep the opponents on their heels more often and help add that extra heavy hockey dose when the going gets tough.