With the departure of Zach Hyman to the Edmonton Oilers, who signed a monster 7-year, 38.5 million dollar contract with them, the Leafs needed to fill the hole left by Hyman. To play with the Leafs' two-headed monster, you need a guy who is tough, physical and likes to stand at the mouth of the net, as Hyman did so well.
That being said, Kyle Dubas is very active in improving his core and has just added Nick Ritchie to his roster. Ritchie is the perfect prototype for the Matthews-Marner pairing, with his physical style of play and ability to get pucks near the goalie's paint. He may not be as relentless as Hyman, but he brings exactly the spice that Dubas was looking for in the market.
Certainly, that's why the 25-year-old power forward "landed" a two-year pact, which will pay him (in total) $2.5 million. The Bruins were not interested in bringing back a 15-goal scorer... Last year, Ritchie had his best career campaign with 26 points, including 15 goals, in 56 games.
Ritchie will be closer to his family as a native of Orangeville, Ontario. I'll also remind you that he was a first round pick, 10th overall, of the Anaheim Ducks in 2014.
