Dallas Stars Re-signing Brett Ritchie Reinforces Commitment to Youth
Although he was a restricted free agent, signing Brett Ritchie to a new deal makes a big statement for the Dallas Stars.
The Dallas Stars announced yesterday that they came to terms on a new contract with forward Brett Ritchie. The deal will keep Ritchie in Victory Green for two years, costing Dallas $3.5 million, and it shows the team’s commitment to youth moving forward in a few ways.
Recent changes
Dallas has undergone quite the offseason thus far. They parted ways with Lindy Ruff, got Ken Hitchcock to return to be the Stars’ bench boss, were selected to choose third overall in the draft, lost Cody Eakin to expansion and inked net minder Ben Bishop.
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They also bought out Antti Niemi‘s contract and solidified the defensive core with Marc Methot. Jim Nill signed Alexander Radulov to hopefully round out the Stars’ top line and even got a deal done with defenseman Esa Lindell.
All of that – and more – in the past less than three months alone. With those alterations to the team’s make-up having happened rather quickly, it’s important that Nill reassured the younger players through coming to terms with Ritchie and Patrik Nemeth a few days ago.
Ritchie’s impact
While the offseason is the time to make changes to the roster and move forward, it’s important that Dallas solidified terms with Ritchie. As a young, talented forward on the team, Ritchie serves to represent a group that is so often ignored with the Stars’ roster.
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Although No. 25 isn’t a player with the immensely high skill level of Tyler Seguin or Jason Spezza, he brings a grit to the team that is important. His physicality adds to Dallas’ depth at the forward position. Those players often get overlooked as they lack the flashy-nature of the big name, highly skilled forwards, but Ritchie and players like him are just as important to the team’s success.
Ritchie is not a guy who is going to single-handedly win the Stars games, but he is a guy who will give all he has on the ice. That dedication is something that can be contagious in a locker room, especially when things aren’t going as planned. His youth and size give him an edge that ensures his contributions will be noticeable in the remainder of his tenure with the Stars.
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Bottom line
Ultimately, Ritchie inking a two-year deal is flying under the radar because it isn’t anywhere near the biggest news that has broken about the team over the last few months. Still, his new deal goes to show what hard work means to this team, which will undoubtedly inspire Dallas hopefuls.
Things have been crazy, but signings like Ritchie reinforce the idea that Dallas is committed to winning – with youth playing major roles – for years to come.