"The plan is straightforward: keep giving Ritchie opportunities and see where it goes. "I think we want him to play as much as possible [in the preseason], and we'll go from there," Roy said. "He's probably not going to play tomorrow, but we want to see how he does. And yes, he's going to play a lot of games. I think what he's doing right now is just making our decision so much tougher, and that's what you want.""
"He logged a team-high four shots and handled nearly 18 minutes of ice time, much of it against established NHL veterans like Nico Hischier. Roy praised his play, but more importantly, pointed to what he wants to see next. "I thought he played really well against their top line. He'll probably do the same today," Roy said Thursday morning. "I want to see him keep playing that way and see how, when things aren't going his way, how he's going to react. And these are good things for us to see from him.""
New York Islanders retained Jean-Gabriel Pageau and moved Mathew Barzal back to center, clarifying plans down the middle. Cal Ritchie, 20, showed versatility but Patrick Roy sees his long-term value at center. Ritchie recorded a goal and an assist in his preseason debut, led the team with four shots and played nearly 18 minutes against veterans like Nico Hischier. Roy praised the performance and emphasized observing how Ritchie reacts when things do not go his way. The team plans to give Ritchie many preseason opportunities to inform roster decisions. Ritchie's odds for Opening Night remain long given veteran competition.
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