Avs Notebook: Why Cal Ritchie Will Make The Team - For Good

He moves to right wing today

I’ll go on record right now: Cal Ritchie makes the Avalanche varsity coming out of training camp.

I think a huge clue for that came at today’s morning training camp session. The 19-year-old rookie, who is a natural center, played right wing on a line centered by Casey Mittelstadt and Oskar Olausson.

(That’s a good sign that Olausson will make the team, too).

Jared Bednar clearly is experimenting Ritchie with some of the big boys, to further prove that he belongs. Yes, Ritchie still has to earn his keep with a good showing in the preseason, but if you ask me, he’s got a roster spot locked up to start the season.

As a right shot with good hands, good size and good wheels, I think Ritchie would be fine as a RW.

Will he be on the roster after nine games? That’s the bigger question, which we discussed earlier. I think he will. Call it a reporter’s hunch.

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