Wild's Ryder Ritchie: Uber-talented forward joins Wild

Ritchie was the 45th overall pick by the Wild in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.

NHL clubs should be prioritizing skill at this stage of the draft, and Ritchie brings plenty of that to the table. His draft stock suffered because he missed a good chunk of the year due to injury and played for a mediocre Prince Albert (WHL) team. Ultimately, Ritchie needs to learn to trust his teammates a bit more and give his best on a more consistent basis. Still, it's rare to find a prospect with this type of individual skill at this point of the draft, so it's a worthwhile gamble for the Wild.