BHN Daily: Ritchie Serving Up Crow, NHL Trade Rumors

Boston Bruins winger Nick Ritchie has become the saving grace for Bruins GM Don Sweeney and trade he made last February.

The Kids Are Alright For the Bruins so far.

Is the NHL about to become the NBA in terms of the players dictating where they play even if they’re under contract? Should NHLers be able to force trades if they’re unhappy with their current NHl teams?

Will the Florida Panthers and the Philadelphia Flyers hook up on a trade and swap defensemen?

That and more in the BHN Daily!

The Boston Bruins are only five games into the 2021 regular season but suddenly and ironically it appears that Nick Ritchie could end up being literally and figuratively the biggest and most important piece in the trade that brought him to the Bruins just prior to the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline.

When the Bruins acquired Ritchie and fellow winger Ondrej Kase for veteran forward David Backes, prospect Axel Andersson, and a 2020 first round pick, Kase was viewed as the centerpiece of the trade and potentially the answer on the right wing of the second line. Three extended injury absences later and there’s a feeling that Bruins may have gotten damaged goods when they traded for the Czech winger, who had a concussion at the time. 

After a turbulent start off the ice, and a regretful one on, Ritchie is off to a roaring start this season and making plenty of media – including myself – and fans alike eat a hefty serving of crow. My partner in crime, Joe Haggerty has more on Ritchie. (Boston Hockey Now)  

The biggest question marks for the Boston Bruins coming into this season surrounded the team’s youth movement. So far, for the most part, the movement is a growing success. (Boston Hockey Now).

Is the entitlement of the NBA creeping into the NHL? Are the Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers potential trade partners? Will Gary Thorne return to the NHL? That and more in the latest ‘Off The Record’. (Boston Hockey Now)

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin not only hurt his teammates with his irresponsible actions but he may have hurt his chances to catch Wayne Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer. (NY Post)

More Carolina Hurricanes games have been postponed. If you’re not used to this yet, time to accept that COVID is dictating the path of this 2021 NHL season. (TSN)

The Montreal Canadiens haven’t just been better this season, they’ve been dominant. Friend of BHN Eric Engels looks deeper into the Stanley Cup contender Habs GM Marc Bergevin has built. (Sportsnet)

The Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL lost a legend and a pioneer Sunday when hall of famer and former Leafs captain George Armstrong passed away. (TSN)