TSN: Brad Richards has been BOUGHT OUT.

[BlueshirtBlitz]

Whew.

I do NOT understand the after-the-fact adulation. This guy was a nightmare on the point, an anchor on the third line (make no mistake, it was the second unit in name only) and not once, but TWICE, was so bad in the playoffs that he forced the coach to demote him. Outside of his first season (which, BTW, was a down year based on his previous standard) and the first two months of this past year, he was a net NEGATIVE on this team. AND he took up 10% of our cap!

Even if cap recapture wasn't an issue, I'd be screaming for his buyout.

Team would not have gone where they did with Brassard/Miller as the middle six centers. He underperformed, but was still better than Miller would've been and important in giving us a team that could roll 4 lines from January on.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Team would not have gone where they did with Brassard/Miller as the middle six centers. He underperformed, but was still better than Miller would've been and important in giving us a team that could roll 4 lines from January on.

I promise you, if we had an extra $6.7MM to work with under the cap, we could've found another acceptable solution for 3C if Miller hadn't been up to the task.

 

[TheTakedown]

I think the Rangers should look into hiring him as a coach in the future... He has the leadership skills, and he knows how to keep players accountable...

I see him being able to coach a team... I wonder if it's something he plans to pursue.

 

[Cynical TyranT]

I promise you, if we had an extra $6.7MM to work with under the cap, we could've found another acceptable solution for 3C if Miller hadn't been up to the task.

Absolutely. Guy wasnt even a pylon, he was a boat anchor. I could FEEL the ice tilt nearly every time he was on the ice during the playoffs.

 

[Placid]

Interviews with Zucc and Hags in Norwegian media after the event today.

Hags thinks the Rangers were forced to do this in order to resign the (entire) Brassard line, and also possibly resign Stralman.

Interview here for anyone reading Norwegian (if not, just run it through Google translate for some really rough translations, as well as seeing Zucc speaking gibberish...lol)

Other than that, both Zucc and Hags says that BR was a good friend, a good teammate, and a leader, and are very sad to see him go.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Honest question

As a Hawk fan I would like Hawks to take a run at Richards and try to convince him to take a 2 yr deal at affordable rate (So they dont have to rush Teuvo Teravainen). I think that Richards is still good enought to be a 2nd line C for a few years

Do you think Richards would be a fit with Patrick Sharp at LW and Marian Hossa at RW on 2nd line?

 

[RangerBoy]

My biggest fear was Richards suffering an injury which prevented the buyout. We saw Havlat in SJ and Samuelsson in Detroit last June have injuries which scuttled those compliance buyouts. In the playoffs,Richards looked bad as the playoffs wore on. We saw Callahan and Hagelin have shoulder surgeries at the end of last season.

Richards will want to play in the east. He will have a hard time with those big teams in the west. Richards wanted to be close to PEI which is why he signed with the Rangers. The Panthers have a ton of space and they want to be a cap team. Its not close to PEI but its Florida. Its not Tampa but there are no more ties left in TB. Richards is engaged to some model. Page Six reported they are expecting a baby later this year. Richards would be good for that team.

 

[mike14]

Honest question

As a Hawk fan I would like Hawks to take a run at Richards and try to convince him to take a 2 yr deal at affordable rate (So they dont have to rush Teuvo Teravainen). I think that Richards is still good enought to be a 2nd line C for a few years

Do you think Richards would be a fit with Patrick Sharp at LW and Marian Hossa at RW on 2nd line?

Yes. He can still play, but he's slowed down considerably. Sharp and Hossa would be easily able to cover for him defensively, and provide a good finish for his passes, which for the most part are still good.

Assuming the cap space is there, Richards to the Hawks makes a lot of sense for both parties.

And as I'm a Richards fan and enjoy watching the Hawks, it's a win for me as well

 

[The Lunatic Fridge]

Honest question

As a Hawk fan I would like Hawks to take a run at Richards and try to convince him to take a 2 yr deal at affordable rate (So they dont have to rush Teuvo Teravainen). I think that Richards is still good enought to be a 2nd line C for a few years

Do you think Richards would be a fit with Patrick Sharp at LW and Marian Hossa at RW on 2nd line?

He can fit with anyone at a reduced minute role. Hossa would probably be a good fit for him.

 

[I Eat Crow]

I can see Richards signing in Jersey, I really can.

Either that, or he goes to some bottom feeder with money to spend like Florida or Buffalo.

 

[The Lunatic Fridge]

I'll never forget this moment. Absolute insanity.

 

[Placid]

Honest question

As a Hawk fan I would like Hawks to take a run at Richards and try to convince him to take a 2 yr deal at affordable rate (So they dont have to rush Teuvo Teravainen). I think that Richards is still good enought to be a 2nd line C for a few years

Do you think Richards would be a fit with Patrick Sharp at LW and Marian Hossa at RW on 2nd line?

I honestly have no idea how he would perform chemistry wise with Sharp and Hossa, but they are both good players. So is Richards, but while im sure his hockey mind is as sharp as ever, his body cannot seem to keep up anymore, and he has a tendency to slow down his entire line.

"Historically", he was the "go to pointman" on the powerplay (and very good at it), but he has been quite bad at that in the Rangers despite getting more PP time than anyone else.

Maybe a change of scenery and some new linemates will do the trick, just dont expect him to be flying out there (at least not on a regular basis).

 

[OverTheCap]

Honest question

As a Hawk fan I would like Hawks to take a run at Richards and try to convince him to take a 2 yr deal at affordable rate (So they dont have to rush Teuvo Teravainen). I think that Richards is still good enought to be a 2nd line C for a few years

Do you think Richards would be a fit with Patrick Sharp at LW and Marian Hossa at RW on 2nd line?

If his conditioning is good, he can probably contribute offensively in the first half of the season. However, I think eventually the speed and physicality of the West will grind him down. It wouldn't surprise me if he was worn out by the time the playoffs come around.

Also, I know that Quenneville likes his centers to be defensively responsible and Richards definitely isn't.

 

[Swept In Seven]

Funny how accurate this is

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Never forget that Richards scored his first ever NHL hattrick as a Ranger

His best Ranger moment though: Tying the game with 6.6 seconds to go in the play offs against the Caps.

Close second: Winning the game on the road against the Yotes with 0.1 seconds to go with a ridiculous back-hander

 

[Thirty One]

Funny how accurate this is

out in the first round, pls. not once.

 

[eco's bones]

Honest question

As a Hawk fan I would like Hawks to take a run at Richards and try to convince him to take a 2 yr deal at affordable rate (So they dont have to rush Teuvo Teravainen). I think that Richards is still good enought to be a 2nd line C for a few years

Do you think Richards would be a fit with Patrick Sharp at LW and Marian Hossa at RW on 2nd line?

If you want an honest answer it's no. IMO both Stepan and Brassard are better players and it's not even that close. In his time here he struggled to find chemistry with anybody. His skating is not good and he's not good defensively either. He will have some good games--but mostly you're going to get mediocrity. He piled up points playing the point on the pwp but he also got burned on the point numbers of times.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

What pisses me off is if Richards was Richards and it was a very tough decision whether to buy him out or not, the Rangers might be the 2014 Cup Champs.

2009-10 Richards would have given this team boost they needed to win at least a game or 2, maybe more in the finals.

But now they buy him out, and they are thin down the middle with Boyle likely leaving. We are looking at Stepan, Brassard, Miller and Moore down the middle come camp. This is why losing in the finals stings so much. If they win the cup, fine see ya. But even though Richards wasnt giving the Rangers what they needed they are out of a center who eats minutes throughout the year. Miller still has a learning curve to deal with.

 

[Fitzy]

out in the first round, pls. not once.

It's an ironic jab from fans of a club that have only made the postseason once in ten years.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

He was very good for our team until Father Time caught up with him. It's a young mans game, so we need to improve the position with youthful energy. He just hit the lottery, so congrats, Brad!

Brad certainly had a very good agent.

Being bought out after 3 years of a 9-year contract, he will get $53.667 of that $60M, minus the money lost during the last lockout (a bit less than $2M, as he had a $8M signing bonus and his salary was "only" $4M).

 

[Fitzy]

It works for both Brad and the Rangers.

I could care less about Dolan's pocketbook.

 

[Siddi]

This was the right move to make but i honestly dont understand those who say Richards was another hit and miss. Granted his production went down after he came to NY but you have to realise that without Brad Richards the Rangers would not have had showings in the ECF or the SCF.

Peace out!

OT: YAY my avatar is back as well as my editing rights

 

[Brooklyn Ranger]

I think the Rangers should look into hiring him as a coach in the future... He has the leadership skills, and he knows how to keep players accountable...

I see him being able to coach a team... I wonder if it's something he plans to pursue.

The man did not come into the 2013 season in any sort of decent shape. I have no problem about the fact he was involved with the union during the negotiations during the lockout, but there is absolutely no excuse for not working out enough during that time. What kind of example was that? He was supposed to be a leader and yet neglected the most important thing of all.

I don't want the organization to have anything more to do with Richards, ever.

 

[MetalGodAOD*]

I think the Rangers should look into hiring him as a coach in the future... He has the leadership skills, and he knows how to keep players accountable...

I see him being able to coach a team... I wonder if it's something he plans to pursue.

I appreciate the sentiment but this is really silly. He has no coaching background and just because he was a leader in the locker-room doesn't mean he'd be a good coach in the slightest. I also seriously question his leadership considering he came to camp out of shape and seemed to promote the country club atmosphere and lack of accountability.

 

[robwrx04]

Hypothetical Question:

Does Richards get bought out still if cup was won??