Toggle sidebar

Brad Richards Part II

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
Status
Not open for further replies.
I despise Richards, and have been an advocate of buying him out the moment the new CBA was inked, even before the season started.

That being said I think there's no harm keeping him around another season. No matter what he does he is getting bought out though.
 
ColonialsHockey10 said:
I despise Richards, and have been an advocate of buying him out the moment the new CBA was inked, even before the season started.

That being said I think there's no harm keeping him around another season. No matter what he does he is getting bought out though.
Click to expand...

The harm is that if he gets hurt next year and is still injured when the buyout period rolls around, then we won't be able to amnesty him. That's too big of a risk to take.
 
Zil said:
The harm is that if he gets hurt next year and is still injured when the buyout period rolls around, then we won't be able to amnesty him. That's too big of a risk to take.
Click to expand...

Very true. I still think he's around next fall though.
 
Zil said:
The harm is that if he gets hurt next year and is still injured when the buyout period rolls around, then we won't be able to amnesty him. That's too big of a risk to take.
Click to expand...

Under that same reasoning, Brad Richards shouldn't be playing now as he could just as easily suffer a serious injury (ex. massive pronger/backes/sauer-esque concussion).

You get rid of Richards when he is a detriment to the locker room or you need the immediate capspace. Neither situation fits for next year.

If anything, the Rangers are very lucky. If this Brad Richards performed this way next year (or even half the season), you could always view it as a fluke, instead of a trend.

The guy looks like he's playing with casts on his arms, unable to complete clean short passes. However, he was still a 60pt center this season.

Will he ever be worth the money, absolutely not. But his upside is worth it for the Rangers short-term next year.

3 Typical Reasons people want him gone:

1) Long-term Injury - Worth the risk. Rangers have a better shot of making noise w/ Richards than without. And if he's blocking a spot for a ready youngster, wrap him in bubble-wrap and shelf him in his NYC apartment at anytime.
2) Roster Space for Youngster - If Richards doesn't perform, nothing is blocking a roster spot. However, w/out Richards, you could be repeating a situation where you are rushing players b/c you have no other option (ex. Miller this year)
3) Ability to Sign a FA replacement - Nothing on this year's market is at all worth the swap or risk in a reactionary FA signing
 
Last edited:
I dont want him gone.
I did not want him in the first place.
Everything I hear Richies problems are in his head.
Why?
If its some long term side effects of concussions, we're hosed.
If its a physical injury he cant overcome in the short term. Sit him.
If its a mid life crises-GET OVER IT.

What is this mans malfunction?
 
frozenrubber said:
Under that same reasoning, Brad Richards shouldn't be playing now as he could just as easily suffer a serious injury (ex. massive pronger/backes/sauer-esque concussion).
Click to expand...

The difference is that the Rangers are trying to make a run right now and don't have four better centers to throw out there. The only healthy guy they could bench him for is Kris Newbury. In the offseason they have the opportunity to pick up a nice bottom six defensive center and they have the luxury of knowing a guy like Lindberg will be pushing for a spot.
 
I think this is a type of series where Richards could get 'lost' in the games, in a good way. He's very adept at reading the ice, even through the rough time he's having right now. I'll keep making excuses for him because he's a heady player with a playoff history.

This isn't going to be an ultra fast pace he's got to negotiate and I think he'll be able to find some holes and open areas of the ice in what will be a very deliberate style of game against Boston. I wouldn't be surprised if he finds his way back onto a line with Nash before this series is over.

Yeah, I know I sound nuts here, but I think the best thing the Rangers can do is to just be the Rangers the Bruins expect and it should "lull them to sleep" in a sense and change the complexion of what the Bruins could be, and that's a more dynamic team offensively. Make them focus on defense and negotiating Lundqvist and we might surprise them with a little more skill and saavy now that Brassard and Zucc have upped their level of play
 
I think you have to give Brad Richards one last training camp and season before you make a decision. I for one won't give up on a guy with his credentials. We all get older, believe me, im there now. But there is a way to get it back, trust me. I could start today.
 
RangerBlues said:
I dont want him gone.
I did not want him in the first place.
Everything I hear Richies problems are in his head.
Why?
If its some long term side effects of concussions, we're hosed.
If its a physical injury he cant overcome in the short term. Sit him.
If its a mid life crises-GET OVER IT.

What is this mans malfunction?
Click to expand...

Yeah it is supposedly a mental problem, which begs the question of why the Rangers have not sent him to a sports psychologist. I know the Mets did for Mike Pelfrey and it helped him.
 
As a non-fan I understand your frustration with Richards. Most of you are expecting him to be the "go to" guy and rightfully so. However, his struggles are due to a lack of mental and physical preparation. There are many players playing below there capabilities this season arguably due to the lock out. Richards is a star player. Give him another year with a proper offseason before you trash him.
 
HockeyBasedNYC said:
I think this is a type of series where Richards could get 'lost' in the games, in a good way. He's very adept at reading the ice, even through the rough time he's having right now. I'll keep making excuses for him because he's a heady player with a playoff history.

This isn't going to be an ultra fast pace he's got to negotiate and I think he'll be able to find some holes and open areas of the ice in what will be a very deliberate style of game against Boston. I wouldn't be surprised if he finds his way back onto a line with Nash before this series is over.

Yeah, I know I sound nuts here, but I think the best thing the Rangers can do is to just be the Rangers the Bruins expect and it should "lull them to sleep" in a sense and change the complexion of what the Bruins could be, and that's a more dynamic team offensively. Make them focus on defense and negotiating Lundqvist and we might surprise them with a little more skill and saavy now that Brassard and Zucc have upped their level of play
Click to expand...

I'd like to see some silky passes to a streaking Kreider...then have him blast it. Please, hockey gods, let me see this.

That is Kreider's gift; his speed entering the zone.... Richards needs to help make this happen.
 
Bob Richards said:
From what I know, nearly all athletes have 0 say in whether they get injured or not. Richards is no different.
Click to expand...

I'm not suggesting they go out and say "oh, I'm going to get injured today." I am saying, though, that where certain athletes take their sweet time to declare themselves "back" (i.e., Derrick Rose) there's every incentive in the world for a player who's a buyout candidate to declare themselves healthy.

Put it another way, if the team has every incentive to buy them out and make the contract go away, and the player has every incentive to take the buyout and go out on the market without any manner of earnings offset, short of a serious injury (which would place him on LTIR anyway as he wouldn't retire and walk away from the significant money owed), there's no way this is going to blow up on a team that wants to spend on the compliance buyout.
 
tjs252 said:
I'm not suggesting they go out and say "oh, I'm going to get injured today." I am saying, though, that where certain athletes take their sweet time to declare themselves "back" (i.e., Derrick Rose) there's every incentive in the world for a player who's a buyout candidate to declare themselves healthy.

Put it another way, if the team has every incentive to buy them out and make the contract go away, and the player has every incentive to take the buyout and go out on the market without any manner of earnings offset, short of a serious injury (which would place him on LTIR anyway as he wouldn't retire and walk away from the significant money owed), there's no way this is going to blow up on a team that wants to spend on the compliance buyout.
Click to expand...

I get what you're saying, but I just straight want to avoid all that. Richards can go out in Game 1 and become the next Marc Savard. I'd like to avoid that entirely
 
Bob Richards said:
I get what you're saying, but I just straight want to avoid all that. Richards can go out in Game 1 and become the next Marc Savard. I'd like to avoid that entirely
Click to expand...

So you're more concerned about contracts and buyouts then winning right now?

I think we've lost sight of things when we start rooting AGAINST our own players, in the playoffs nonetheless.
 
HockeyBasedNYC said:
So you're more concerned about contracts and buyouts then winning right now?
Click to expand...

Not Game 1 of this post season. Game 1 of next season. My bad.

HockeyBasedNYC said:
I think we've lost sight of things when we start rooting AGAINST our own players, in the playoffs nonetheless.
Click to expand...

Damn you to Hades for putting this in after I posted. I didn't mean I wanted Richards gone NOW. That would be terribly shortsighted.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
At this stage, put him in the press box and have Newbury out there on the fourth line.

Richards is playing like Newbury without the physicality. That's who he reminds me of.
 
If I was a conspiracy theorist, I would say Brad Richards is intentionally playing bad to get bought out. So he can then sign another contract with another team to maximize his salary return.

But, I don't actually think that because I think a pro like Richards has a ton of pride. I don't know what the hell is going on.
 
Question from an outsider:

I know Stepan has become the Rangers' top line center but do you think he can develop into an elite passer like Richards was? As in, can he reach 60 assist territory?
 
NuxFan09 said:
Question from an outsider:

I know Stepan has become the Rangers' top line center but do you think he can develop into an elite passer like Richards was? As in, can he reach 60 assist territory?
Click to expand...

Maybe with with the right linemates.

I think of Stepan as more of a 25-30 goal 40-50 assist player who excels in both ends on the ice. Similar to Richards in that much of his offensive game comes from being in the right place and having excellent vision, but he's definitely a more well-rounded player.

He also seems to do a better job around the net than Richards. He'll score more garbage goals.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom