Boston Bruins: Poor Brett Ritchie can’t catch a break

The Boston Bruins made a smart depth signing in the summer, adding Brett Ritchie who moved on from the Dallas Stars organisation.

Since arriving with the Boston Bruins, Brett Ritchie may not have seen huge minutes nor made a huge impact scoring-wise but he is the sort of depth player you just love to have available on your roster.

Not only is he 6’4″ and 220 pounds, but he also is still relatively young at just 26 years old and fits a need for the Boston Bruins in the bottom-six. Thus far this year, while averaging around 10 minutes or so a game, he’s managed to score 2 goals and add 2 assists, as well as keeping an even plus/minus score.

All in all, what the Boston Bruins need from Brett Ritchie is exactly what he’s given them. Of course, we’d love a little more scoring and would love it if he was the missing piece on the second line, but he does his job well where he is.

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Unfortunately for him though, he’s suffered stints on injured reserve more than once this season, most recently finding himself there as the Bruins head to Montreal and Ottawa on a divisional road-trip.

This latest issue is just an infection, which you’d assume is just the chillier weather having an effect on the player. Guess it makes sense given Brett Ritchie would’ve been based in Dallas, Texas the past few winters.

Either way, it does Brett Ritchie no favors in terms of maintaining his spot in the line-up. Par Lindholm has already pushed ahead on the Boston Bruins depth chart and the longer Anders Bjork, Brendan Gaunce and Jack Studnicka spent auditioning, the more likely one of them will push ahead of him too.

Injuries and illness, of course, aren’t issues that Brett Ritchie, the person, should rush back from. Brett Ritchie, the hockey player, no doubt wanted to be back on the ice yesterday!

Either way, the Boston Bruins as an organisation have a certain duty of care and should ensure he’s fighting fit and healthy before giving him the green light.

Especially if said infection can spread. The last thing this team needs is to lose more players to injury or illness. I’ve already lost count of who has been out and when this season and it’s only 24 games old!

Hopefully, he’s back in time for the fixture with the New York Rangers, if not I’m sure we’ll see Brett Ritchie back out there in December!