Brad Richards Part II

[MrEctions]

Hand the reigns to Gorton, much more capable hands, imo.

 

[haveandare]

http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/rangerrants/comments/flyers_4_rangers_2_wrapping_up1/



This guys really struggling, and he knows it. You know the guy wants to perform out there, he just cant. Thats what makes this even tougher as fan, because you know the guy wants to do good. But its a business and its based on results. He just doesnt have it.

Whether or not he is bought out remains to be seen.

The thing that bothers me about this sort of thing is that we hear about this stuff a fair bit. This is an example, the "lost and confused" quote is an example, but we don't hear about him being the first on the ice at practice or about him skating his ass off after everyone else is done or about him working harder than everyone else. Is he trying to get better? I have to imagine that at this point in his career he knows what it takes.

 

[Bluenote13]

Agree and disagree.

I think some of the mental mistakes can be attributed to conditioning. When you don't have legs it forces your decision making process to change.

The whole teams timing and chemistry has been out of whack all season. And that missing synchronicity is aggravated by the coaching.

Anyway, while I doubt we are getting a completely "changed" player I don't think a return of 11/12 Richards is impossible or even unlikely. Since there is money at stake, at least very least the effort should be there.

Good points.

I agree the whole team has been off, and the coach doesn't seem to think that's his area of concern, much like the PP.

But at what point do you say this guy is not keeping his end of the first line minutes? Then what, Brassard as de facto #1 with Nash? Then Brad brings down the 2nd line, whoever the hell that will be on any given night. Or maybe hope that Lindberg is as great as I make him out to be and he miraculously, seamlessly slides into first line minutes

At the very least, the PP should have been this guys B & B, he had control of the puck with options, he seems to make the opposite decision of what he would have done in his first season here. Defensively he's a liability, not to mention skating through Hank's crease with the puck, what the hell was that !?

 

[Jersey Girl]

How does the buyout in the new CBA work? Would Richards receive his entire contract, or just a percentage?

 

[The Gloaming]

At this point, buying him out would be like addition by subtraction. The guy brings negative value to this team.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

I am so ready for both him and Boyle to be gone. (And for Gorton to take over - no Burke, please, please, plea...) Very happy to run with:

Step
Brass
Miller/Lindberg - or Jean/Yogan/St. Croix if one of them surprises in camp
Powe/4th line center of your choice signed for $1.5MM or less
(If we can upgrade the #2 or #3 via trade - NOT FA - then that's cool by me too.)

Let's be clear: while I'm not saying that's a championship club (although both Step and Brass do have the potential to be true #1 and 2 centers, respectively, if they keep up what they've been doing recently), it's certainly no worse than our current squad with Richards skating in mud and throwing passes to the other team.

 

[Kershaw]

If they went out and brought in Burke and snubbed Gorton, I might just throw in the towel with this team.

Why? Gorton is Sather 2.0. Another puppet.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I am so ready for both him and Boyle to be gone. (And for Gorton to take over - no Burke, please, please, plea...) Very happy to run with:

Step
Brass
Miller/Lindberg - or Jean/Yogan/St. Croix if one of them surprises in camp
Powe/4th line center of your choice signed for $1.5MM or less
(If we can upgrade the #2 or #3 via trade - NOT FA - then that's cool by me too.)

Let's be clear: while I'm not saying that's a championship club (although both Step and Brass do have the potential to be true #1 and 2 centers, respectively, if they keep up what they've been doing recently), it's certainly no worse than our current squad with Richards skating in mud and throwing passes to the other team.

Personally, I dont have fun when a team is mediocre no matter who the players are.

 

[16 To Stanley*]

He's atrocious this year. I don't give a **** how much he cares. Chris Drury seemed like he cared more than Richards (all vacation jokes aside) and when he couldn't perform he was bought out.

We are better with him off the team at his point. Thank god for the amnesty.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Personally, I dont have fun when a team is mediocre no matter who the players are.

Fair enough - but I'd rather watch the young guys who may or may not develop to become better than mediocre vs. watching the guys who used to be good and hoping that they may return for a brief spell to a shadow of their former glory to stave of mediocrity for a month or two.

 

[Inferno]

He's atrocious this year. I don't give a **** how much he cares. Chris Drury seemed like he cared more than Richards (all vacation jokes aside) and when he couldn't perform he was bought out.

We are better with him off the team at his point. Thank god for the amnesty.

I disagree..I think Richards has shown he cares a lot...most of his mistakes seem to be between his ears not from his eroding skills..and i totally disagree with people who think he's lost a step, i think he's been the same, average, skater he's always been.

he was never a turnover machine like this. and hes missed what, 2 or 3 open nets in the past week? and hit a crossbar or 2?

 

[RangerBlues]

Richie Rich is suppose to be the #1C and he cant win a face off.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Another point that we as Rangers fans should well understand by now: there is a difference between done as a player and done as a Ranger. If for whatever reason you're one of those guys who can't hack it here, then you can't hack it here - regardless of how you do in your subsequent career in Nashville or Minnesota.

Richie needs to go ASAP, for his sake as well as the team's.

 

[Kershaw]

Richie Rich is suppose to be the #1C and he cant win a face off.

You can tell he's finished after that faceoff loss to Giroux for Flyers PP Goal. I've never seen a faceoff won more cleanly. That was really sad and lol worthy at the same time.

 

[mike14]

Richie Rich is suppose to be the #1C and he cant win a face off.

50% on the season. The one he lost on the goal last night was brutal, but without Boyle he's (sadly) the best faceoff guy on the team

 

[KingWantsCup]

That's what I love about the Richards killers. They want him gone so the Rangers can take that money and sign the newer, shinier toy.

First of all I'm not a "Richards killer". Second of all it's incredibly apparent that he's our compliance buyout no matter how he performs, be it this summer or next. If you lose a player you replace him. Unless you love the idea of Boyle back as the 3C then by all means let's skip on that "newer, shinier toy". Sure, you could slot JT miller but I personally would rather have him on the wing. Whoever signs Weiss is signing the best UFA this summer and it will likely be on a good deal too.

 

[SA16]

Richie Rich is suppose to be the #1C and he cant win a face off.

Boyle 56.4% (381 taken)
Miller 53.4% (only 118 taken)
Richards 50.0% (686 taken)
Brassard 48.2% (365 taken)
Stepan 46.5% (854 taken)

He's our number 2 faceoff guy and is exactly league average (excluding Miller for small sample and in all likelihood 50% is above league average when you take into account he is often going against num 1/2 guys who i presume as a collection have a league avg FO% > 50)

If you want to complain about faceoffs complain about Stepan because he's been brutal on them yet that somehow gets neglected because of his great play otherwise. Complaining about Richards of faceoffs is simply selection bias (remembering only the ones he loses clean such as yesterday) and trying to find things wrong with his game since overall he's played terribly this year.

 

[KingWantsCup]

He's atrocious this year. I don't give a **** how much he cares. Chris Drury seemed like he cared more than Richards (all vacation jokes aside) and when he couldn't perform he was bought out.

We are better with him off the team at his point. Thank god for the amnesty.

I strongly disagree. Richards has consistently shown very negative, depressed body language and much more emotion than Drury ever showed. Albeit as a professional athlete he should be stronger than getting so apparently depressed, he has clearly show he cares and realizes how badly he isn't fulfilling his responsibilities.

 

[RangerBlues]

I dont know where those figures come from but face offs have been horrific all season.
I'd like to see that broken down a little better.
At points in the game where it matters most they are getting eaten alive.

 

[Overcast]

Who? And Slats doesn't sign offer sheets. It's not his M.O.

Lmfao well people think Malkin is actually an option..

I blame that wench Olivia Munn (even though I adore her) for breaking up with Richie last year IN THE PLAYOFFS NO LESS. I don't think he's gotten over it yet.

 

[SA16]

I dont know where those figures come from but face offs have been horrific all season.
I'd like to see that broken down a little better.
At points in the game where it matters most they are getting eaten alive.

We're actually above average as a team -- 50.2% on the year.
Highly doubt that is anything different than any other teams and is merely a factor of remembering the losses and forgetting the wins. If you want a possible factor as to why it COULD be true that we are bad at faceoffs in late games/PP situations it could be that our team leader in faceoffs (Stepan) plays in those spots and happens to be a really poor faceoff man --- and combined with the fact that in those situations he is likely facing one of the opponents top defensive/faceoff guys (which is no different than for other teams - just their top center might actually be good at faceoffs)

For reference Stepan is ranked 65/81 among players who qualify for the faceoff lead according to nhl.com (admittedly I do not know how many faceoffs are required to qualify but they seem to be showing anyone with over 8.8/game or so). Oh and additionally not only is Stepan bad on faceoffs he is 6th in the league in faceoffs taken so that's another possible factor.

It is mandatory for him to work on those in the offseason. It's his next stop to becoming a 1C or at the least a real top 2C

 

[SlingshotVv]

1. Careless passes
2. bad decisions when pressured
3. one step too slow to tons of rebounds and loose pucks
4. not sniping when a lane presents itself
5. a few steps behind turning 1v1's into 2v1's
6. can't recall a single time that he drew a penalty aside frmo getting smashed into the boards
7. his puck possession ability is 0 when being pressured along the boards or behind the net

The scary part is I see the EXACT same problem with Richie that I saw with Drury. WHen they were killing the opposition they were almost an entire step faster. You add that step to their game and they're right back where they were. But we saw even through hard work, Chris couldn't get it back. Can Richards? I hope so, but I don't think Slats should wait around to find out.

 

[Zamboner]

I strongly disagree. Richards has consistently shown very negative, depressed body language and much more emotion than Drury ever showed. Albeit as a professional athlete he should be stronger than getting so apparently depressed, he has clearly show he cares and realizes how badly he isn't fulfilling his responsibilities.

Disagree. Drury lost the ability to play hockey, but he never dogged it. Richards has dogged it constantly. Floating back to the bench, the lack of back checks, these are not the actions of the man who cares.

 

[SA16]

Why can't a player (let's say a good offensive player) ever just be playing bad without immediately being given the label of lazy, disinterested, possibly playing with injury etc.

Can we just admit he's off this year? Maybe he's lost a step? Maybe he didn't prepare enough in the offseason and was just not ready? He doesn't have to be called lazy just because he's not playing well.

We've now heard the same thing about Richards, Drury, Gaborik, Gomez, Anisimov, Zherdev and pretty much every single offensive player that was expected to perform and for one reason or another did not. Different types of players give effort in different ways.

Basically the way it is is if you are a one dimensional type player - that is someone expected to perform offensively and are not a guy whose game is to hit and/or play hard along the boards etc. and it's not working out you're just called lazy.

I, for one, really do not buy into the theory of these guys being lazy and such and think it is nothing but an excuse for the fan base. The guys are professional hockey players, top players, and have been for years. They try hard. If it's not working it's not working for other reasons.

 

[Kershaw]

Why can't a player (let's say a good offensive player) ever just be playing bad without immediately being given the label of lazy, disinterested, possibly playing with injury etc.

Can we just admit he's off this year? Maybe he's lost a step? Maybe he didn't prepare enough in the offseason and was just not ready? He doesn't have to be called lazy just because he's not playing well.

We've now heard the same thing about Richards, Drury, Gaborik, Gomez, Anisimov, Zherdev and pretty much every single offensive player that was expected to perform and for one reason or another did not.

I, for one, really do not buy into the theory of these guys being lazy and such and think it is nothing but an excuse for the fan base. The guys are professional hockey players, top players, and have been for years. They try hard. If it's not working it's not working for other reasons.

I don't think Richards is lazy.

His legs just look done.

I feel bad for him, because I have been feeling the same this year in the sports I've been playing. I had much more explosiveness when playing rugby and lacrosse last year, now my legs get worn out during games after 5 minutes of play. Just gonna need to hit the gym and work on the metabolism to get less tired during the offseason.