As had been suggested earlier in the week by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Flames announced (Twitter link) that they have indeed brought winger Brett Ritchie into training camp on a PTO agreement. To make room for him on the roster, the team has assigned winger Justin Kirkland to AHL Stockton.
Last season wasn’t a good one for the 27-year-old. After being non-tendered by Dallas, he was able to catch on with Boston, inking a one-year, $1MM deal. However, he struggled considerably with his new team, notching just two goals and four assists in 28 games in a fourth line role before being waived (and clearing) in mid-January. He wasn’t much better at putting up points with AHL Providence as he had just two goals and two assists in a dozen games with them before the pandemic shut down the season.
Not surprisingly, the Bruins also opted to non-tender Ritchie back in October over qualifying him at his $1MM price tag. The fact that Ritchie remained unsigned until now certainly doesn’t bode well for his chances of making Calgary’s roster in training camp but as a veteran of 268 career NHL games, he could certainly be an option for their taxi squad.