Cal Ritchie didn’t treat his first full NHL season like a finish line. He treated it like a starting point.
As he heads into Year 2 with the Islanders, the forward said his offseason wasn’t built around fixing just one glaring flaw. It was about sharpening nearly everything in his game - the strengths, the weaknesses, and the in-between stuff that separates a solid young player from a more complete one.
“I think just trying to improve my strengths and my weaknesses,” Ritchie said. “I think trying to see the ice better, handle pucks better, make better passes, better shot, worked on my skating a lot, battles.”
That list stretched well beyond a typical tune-up. Ritchie said he also spent time away from the ice getting stronger, improving his conditioning and becoming more mobile. On the rink, the mission was broad rather than targeted.
“I mean, you have to be good at everything to play in the NHL,” Ritchie said. “So, this summer I just tried to work on everything.”
That approach fits the reality of life in the league, where opponents quickly learn what a young player likes to do and what he doesn’t do as well. Ritchie’s first full season showed he belongs. The next step is proving he can keep building once the league has a longer look at him.
He’s not walking into training camp assuming anything is secure.
“You still got to prove yourself every training camp,” he said. “I'm just not really thinking too much about the past. I'm just trying to have a strong season this year and try to help the team.”
Last season gave the Islanders a clearer idea of what Ritchie can be. This summer was about making sure that picture gets bigger.
In Other News...
Islanders Have An Early Camp Test For A Contract Fans Still Question
Pierre Engvall was back on the ice for the Islanders as training camp opened, a welcome sight after he missed all of last season following hip and ankle surgeries. The forward skated with the first group on Day 1, giving the club an early look at where he stands physically as the team begins sorting out lines, roles and expectations for the season ahead.
His return also brings renewed attention to the long contract he signed in 2023, which still has plenty of runway left. For a player whose health and production have been under the microscope, camp is an immediate test, and it comes at a time when Islanders fans are still looking for clearer answers about how he fits into the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Camp Just Got More Urgent With DeBoer Taking An Unusual Approach
A shortened training camp already gives the Islanders less room for error, and Peter DeBoer is leaning into that reality with an approach meant to sharpen physical play and defensive-zone detail before the schedule gets even longer. With the NHL moving into an expanded 84-game season, there is little time for gradual buildup, so every on-ice session carries a little more weight than usual.
Mathew Barzals absence for most of camp only adds to the urgency, especially for a team trying to get its structure set early. His availability for the opener is still unresolved, which leaves the Islanders working through camp with one of their most important pieces on the sidelines while the rest of the roster tries to absorb a different kind of preparation than the usual preseason routine. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Camp Already Has One Young Forward Forcing Attention
Training camp opened with the Islanders getting a first real look at where their forward depth stands, and the initial scrimmage offered just enough to keep attention fixed on the younger names. The Blue and White groups skated to a 1-1 tie, with Bo Horvat finding the net and a few of the clubs goalies, including Semyon Varlamov, Vitek Vanecek, Ilya Sorokin and Joshua Kotai, sharing the workload as Pete DeBoer used the session to push players into game-like situations.
Victor Eklund was part of the early buzz after scoring in the scrimmage, another reminder that camp can quickly turn into an audition for anyone trying to climb the ladder. DeBoer said the short camp makes these reps especially valuable for evaluation, and for a young forward trying to force his way into the conversation, every chance to show up in those scrimmages matters. [Read more 🡒]