NY Islanders' Calum Ritchie Gets Compared to Former Franchise Great

Which former New York Islanders star was Calum Ritchie recently compared to?

Apr 9, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Calum Ritchie (64) at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders are coming off a good season, but the team will be hoping to be able to take a step forward this coming year. 

As the Islanders entered the summer, there was a lot of speculation about what the plan for the team might be. New York didn’t have a ton of cap space to make upgrades, and they will be gearing up for next summer, when they are expected to have a lot more cap space. 

However, even though the team might have been quiet, there is reason to believe that they will be a bit improved. The Islanders are going to be getting some players back like Kyle Palmieri, Semyon Varlamov, and Alexander Romanov. 

Furthermore, while getting veterans will help, some of the young talent on the team is also expected to take another step forward. One of the players that the team will be hoping to see more from is forward Calum Ritchie. 

Stefen Rosner of the Elmonters recently compared Ritchie to former Islanders forward Brock Nelson, which is some high praise.

Ritchie Gets Strong Comparison

May 26, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson (11) reacts to the loss against the Vegas Golden Knights in game four of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As the Islanders head into next season, the young forward for the team is one of the players that they will be hoping to see quite a bit of production from and for him to take a step forward. 

Last year, Ritchie was a bright spot, showing some nice development. In 65 games, he totaled 30 points with 13 goals and 17 assists. There is certainly reason to be optimistic that he can be a top-six player for New York, but as a center, he has been forced to the wing a bit more with the depth that the Islanders have up the middle. 

As the team starts planning for the future, finding ways for him to get some reps up the middle will be important. However, that might have to wait until next year if Peter DeBoer uses Mathew Barzal up the middle more this season. 

Even if he doesn’t play a ton of center this year, he is going to be able to help the Islanders on the wing. There is certainly reason to believe that he could be around a 50-point player this year, and perhaps score more than 20 goals as well. 

With a need for offensive production, that would be a welcome sight, especially for a young developing player. Going forward, if he does end up becoming a player like Nelson, the Islanders will be extremely happy.