Cal Ritchie of the Islanders leaves due to a lower-body injury

Philadelphia Preseason Wrap-Up

Thursday night’s preseason finale presented Cal Ritchie with a crucial opportunity to secure a roster spot. He had been doing well, skimming through training camp, but there was a twist: he didn’t see any ice time in the third period of the Flyers’ 4-3 victory.

Coach Patrick Roy mentioned, “Days,” when asked about Ritchie’s status, adding that the player would see the team’s doctor the following day.

For a player like Ritchie, whose training camp performance had been noteworthy, this situation felt particularly unfortunate. It’s always disappointing when injuries interfere with progress.

The 20-year-old from Brampton, Ontario, had been striving to prove his worth over the past three weeks. The challenge was, of course, the lineup already featured four established NHL centermen, making his case all the more complex.

Roy expressed his appreciation for Ritchie prior to the match: “There will be some important decisions to make, but I am very pleased with him. Regardless of the outcome, he left a strong impression, which complicates our choices.” It’s a good problem to have, in a way.

In other news, Anders Lee made his return to the lineup after recovering from an upper body injury and even found the net during the game. “He didn’t want to miss the match, and that’s commendable,” Roy noted. He emphasized the importance of ensuring every player is fully ready during training camp.

Lee’s determination is evident. “Anders can play at 60% and still want to compete. He’s that kind of warrior. But today, he’s fit to go,” Roy added.

The Isles didn’t appear to have much to worry about as they moved towards the regular season. Lee reflected, “It feels good to be back. I just need to keep working on my timing and get into those competitive battles. I’m truly happy to be back on the ice.”

This game had a lineup that closely mirrored what fans might expect in the upcoming regular season. The only notable absentees were Tony DeAngelo, Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri, and Jonathan Drouin (who was out due to illness).

In goal, Ilya Sorokin played the entire match, achieving his second win of the preseason by saving 18 out of 21 shots. It seems like he’s in pretty good shape heading into the season.