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Brad Richards Part II

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ColonialsHockey10 said:
Got to love how 3 months ago a buyout to Richards was sacrilege.

People can be so fickle.
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Well, assuming you mean before the details of the new CBA came out, Richards could've just retired and we wouldn't have had to worry about buying him out.

Know what we do now, it's automatic that we exercise our 2nd buyout on him.
 
Regardless of what will happen with the buyout, I don't think Richards has been that bad. He has played with a higher battle level than he did for the majority of the year. He is skating harder and looks quicker in his reactions and decisions. But obviously, for many that does not mean much when the team is down 2-0 and he hasn't been on the scoresheet.
 
Jabroni1994 said:
Well, assuming you mean before the details of the new CBA came out, Richards could've just retired and we wouldn't have had to worry about buying him out.

Know what we do now, it's automatic that we exercise our 2nd buyout on him.
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After the new CBA people still refused to acknowledge it, when its been obvious since we heard about the buyouts.
 
RGY said:
Regardless of what will happen with the buyout, I don't think Richards has been that bad. He has played with a higher battle level than he did for the majority of the year. He is skating harder and looks quicker in his reactions and decisions. But obviously, for many that does not mean much when the team is down 2-0 and he hasn't been on the scoresheet.
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He's been better but still average at best and definitely not worth the cap hit.
 
RGY said:
Regardless of what will happen with the buyout, I don't think Richards has been that bad. He has played with a higher battle level than he did for the majority of the year. He is skating harder and looks quicker in his reactions and decisions. But obviously, for many that does not mean much when the team is down 2-0 and he hasn't been on the scoresheet.
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Not sure what series you have been watching, but Richards has been a marvel of modern science as the world's first invisible piece of crap.
 
Rangers have brought in guys like Jagr, Gomez, Drury, Redden, Gaborik, Richards and Nash to be real difference makers and when they're not the team is behind the eight ball. With the money comes the critique if they cannot live up to the billing. Richards isn't doing the job. Like Drury he disappears for stretches--even last season he did that but this year seems even more. So far in these playoffs Nash at least has been around the net and getting some good shots--creating chances--Richards has not. He's been a non-factor and Tortorella yanked Nash off his wing.

Rangers wingers like Callahan, Zuccarello, Nash are working hard--Richards had been playing with Zucc and Nash. Those two have been noticeably better.
 
Richards has always been a streaky player, when he is hot he is hot, and when he is not he becomes invisible. This has been a weird year with a half season, which is even more disheartening as I figured Richards would come in top shape and be good to go for the playoffs. I would have never thought a buyout to be an option for Richards going into the year, but now it would be crazy for him to not be bought out with that salary hit.

He is a Torts guy, so I am very curious if Torts is going to fight with Sather to have him brought back, but UNLESS there is a serious injury he is playing with (for most of the season on top of that) which we are unaware of I see no way they can bring Richards back. Stepan is clearly our #1 center, Brassard is a capable #2, we have Miller, Boyle, and Lindberg who are 3 centers for the bottom 2 lines.

Richards clearly needs to go, it pains me to watch him play with how noticeably his skills have declined. He should not be on the PP, his indecisiveness on the point is the main reason our PP looks awful, I believe our PP was much better when he missed a few games with Gaborik on the point and Zucc and Girardi should be on the point for the first PP, with MDZ and Stralman on the second.
 
shinchanyo said:
A LOT of people seem to forget this. These aren't short stretches either they are significantly long
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Drury wore the C--even as his game declined from a 2nd liner to a 3rd liner to a 4th liner. IMO if you can't be a leader on the ice--you're not a real leader at all--there are other guys then pulling your weight for you. Richards has an A and Torts is famous for yanking the C from LaCavalier for subpar performance. He's not leading on the ice. When we're looking for a goal or a big play we mostly look to Nash, Stepan, Callahan. It may be Hagelin, Brassard, Kreider and Miller in the future.

I don't like him on the pwp point either. He's not making plays--but to be fair Rangers forwards aren't always moving around enough to get open.
 
Our goal scoring in the playoffs last season was nearly as bad. Richards was one of the players that said they may be playing too cautiously.
 
Get rid of him.. I know we should prob hold on to him for another year.. but its unacceptable for his no show.. He's a PPQB we've had like 10 PP and 0 PP goals.. guy cant even make a difference when we;re up a man let alone 5 on 5... buy him out...

go with miller as 3c..at least the hustle and desire is there.. strong on the stick etc..
 
Hold onto him for another year then buy him out. No need to let him go to another team on a sweetheart deal where he's going to come back to bite our ass a year early.

Personally, I think Lindberg is going to step up as our 3c next year, so if we must Richards can sit in the pressbox or Brassard can play wing.
 
Yeah I honestly don't think there is a high chance he gets bought out in the summer when they have an extra season to use it.
 
RGY said:
Regardless of what will happen with the buyout, I don't think Richards has been that bad. He has played with a higher battle level than he did for the majority of the year. He is skating harder and looks quicker in his reactions and decisions. But obviously, for many that does not mean much when the team is down 2-0 and he hasn't been on the scoresheet.
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Yep. I have been much angrier at guys like Callahan and Del Zotto in the playoffs so far. Richards has been fine.
 
Jonathan. said:
Yep. I have been much angrier at guys like Callahan and Del Zotto in the playoffs so far. Richards has been fine.
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Fine? He stinks too.

The only forwards who havent stunk are Hagelin and Nash for a few spurts. Thats it.

Richards speed and decision making are a tick slow, as they have been against any team with a pulse for the majority of this year.
 
Cap recapture. If the Rangers don't amnesty/compliance buyout Brad Richards,they are stuck with the contract. Even if they find a taker for Richards,they could still take a future cap hit if Richards retires before the contract expires. If the plan is to amnesty Richards,why wait until June 2014 when there is a risk of injury? The Rangers didn't want to play Redden in the AHL because they were afraid of an injury. Same situation. Even if they decide to keep Richards for 13-14,they will still buy him out by June 2014. Richards isn't going to find the fountain of youth by this October. He might still be a productive player in the future but that production pales in comparison to his salary and risk of cap recapture. Dolan will still pay Richards 2/3 of his remaining salary paid over twice the term. Richards is owed $36M. 2/3 cuts it down to $24M. $1.7M for the next 14 years. Dolan has paid out some bad contracts with the Knicks. Larry Brown. Marbury. Billups. Torts might end up being the fall guy for the Richards contract in the future. He wanted Richards here. Torts will most likely return for next season regardless of the Rangers winning or losing to Washington. Richards won't count against the cap and the Rangers can move forward. Stop thinking the next move is winning the Cup.
 
It's been as simple as the value for the cap hit hasn't been there for the first two years of a nine year contract and the front end of those years should be the best years. If the value isn't there now it's extremely unlikely the value is going to be there as he gets even older.

I don't blame Richards for signing the contract nor do I believe he's deliberately trying to **** up. He's just losing it. No point in getting mad at him or angry about the situation which seems cut and dry anyway. If the Rangers are so silly that they don't buy him out--well it's not his fault--it's their own stupidity. I expect that they won't be stupid on this though--should just be a matter of one more season or no more seasons.

I will reiterate--he does not lead on the ice. He is not a guy we looked to anymore to do something when the team needs a goal or a spark. For the reason he was brought in--to be a legit 1st line center--a clutch player and with the money he's being paid this signing has proven to be an abysmal failure. Stepan has easily surpassed him as our best center. It's arguable that Brassard has as well.
 
Bleed Ranger Blue said:
Fine? He stinks too.

The only forwards who havent stunk are Hagelin and Nash for a few spurts. Thats it.

Richards speed and decision making are a tick slow, as they have been against any team with a pulse for the majority of this year.
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Doesn't stink at all. He hasn't been bad but he hasn't been good. Just OK. Fine.

I'm fully on board with buying him out in 2014, but he certainly hasn't had a horrible playoffs so far.
 
Jonathan. said:
Doesn't stink at all. He hasn't been bad but he hasn't been good. Just OK. Fine.

I'm fully on board with buying him out in 2014, but he certainly hasn't had a horrible playoffs so far.
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He hasnt done much at all, and hes being paid to be the #1 center. The only way hes been "fine," is if you have zero expectations for him.
 
Jonathan. said:
Yep. I have been much angrier at guys like Callahan and Del Zotto in the playoffs so far. Richards has been fine.
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Sorry, but he's been pretty bad for the minutes he garners. He's slow and weak on the puck, forget the atrocious play on the point during the PP. As creative as Scott Gomez.
 
Bleed Ranger Blue said:
He hasnt done much at all, and hes being paid to be the #1 center. The only way hes been "fine," is if you have zero expectations for him.
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I don't agree with that. I think he has been solid out there. Look, I want the guy to put up points. But he had a hell of a turnaround after the Gabby trade and I think he has been ok in the playoffs so far. He's not a #1 center at this point. As a #2, I think he's been fine. And him beings #2 center is why I a on board with buying him out in 2014.
 
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