Will Calum Ritchie make the New York Islanders opening night roster?

Last season it seemed that Calum RItchie was a lock to make the New York Islanders opening night roster. Things have changed since then. Lou Lamoriello’s no longer in charge and the squad made signings and announced lineup decisions that could affect Ritchie making the team. 

Ritchie, a former first-round pick by the Colorado Avalanche back in 2023 was a major piece in return as a part of the Brock Nelson trade and saw some NHL action last season. In seven games he scored one goal and that was the one point he had. That one goal was scored on Ilya Sorokin. 

Ritchie projects to be an elite, two-way, second line center that could play both the powerplay and the penalty kill. 

The Islanders have a ton of centers on the roster Bo Horvat, Mat Barzal, John-Gabriel Pageau and Casey Cizikas. They also have other forwards that can play center like Kyle MacLean.

In the offseason the Islanders added to its forward group. The team signed Jonathan Drouin and Maxim Shabanov and traded for Emil Heineman. All three forwards will be regulars in the lineup this season. 

At the Islanders most recent media day Patrick Roy gave his lineup if the squad was to play today and those lines are as follows. 

Drouin-Horvat-Shabanov

Lee-Barzal-Palmieri

Duclair-Pageau-Holmstrom

Roy didn’t have anything about the fourth line, but Ritchie wouldn’t play on that line. The assumption for that line would be Tsplakov-Cizikas-Heineman.

Mathieu Darche did say that if Ritchie plays well enough to be on the team then he will make a spot for him in the lineup. The easiest way to do that would be either trading Pageau or keeping Barzal as a winger and not moving him back to center. 

It’s looking like Ritchie will start the season in the AHL and make his way up to the NHL as the season goes on.