It was widely suspected that Ritchie would be claimed due to his size, his mean streak, his draft pedigree (10th overall to the Ducks in 2014), and his uptick in goal production with the Bruins last season (15 goals in 56 games).
There appeared to be no shortage of suitors lining up for Nick Ritchie's services during the offseason, when the Orangeville, Ontario native was an unrestricted free agent. The fact that he chose the Leafs over other locations had led a lot of people to believe that one of those teams might have put in a claim on Ritchie - especially with COVID-19 decimating teams this season. It never hurts to have an extra body around, especially if that body is 6'3, 235 lbs.