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Brad Richards Part II

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As much as I love Stepan and have enjoyed his great play this year, I think it's just too early to crown Stepan as our 1C after a 40 game sprint. He's played with Rick Nash all year, don't tell me that doesn't help him produce points.

He was invisible in the playoffs last year, scoring only 1 goal, and still makes costly mistakes with the puck at times. Not to mention his poor faceoff ability. I want to see him perform this well in the playoffs before giving him that spot.

Sadly, he's our only option at 1C
 
Kershaw said:
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.
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I (possibly) agree with that. If his legs are done then his legs are done - it's not his fault. People decline at different ages. He's got this upcoming offseason and next year to sort it out and see if he can get them back and salvage his game - regardless he's going to be gone after that year though. But I think calling him lazy or disinterested is both really unfair and false. I would stand by that comment for almost every player in the league.
 
SA16 said:
I (possibly) agree with that. If his legs are done then his legs are done - it's not his fault. People decline at different ages. He's got this upcoming offseason and next year to sort it out and see if he can get them back and salvage his game - regardless he's going to be gone after that year though. But I think calling him lazy or disinterested is both really unfair and false. I would stand by that comment for almost every player in the league.
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You have to see it this way. Some players stayed in insane shape ALL throughout the lockout, guys like Stamkos, and many many others were at the gym all day, playing hockey and staying in top shape.

Plenty other guys (this is where Richards falls) spent the lockout on vacation, at home, drinking wine, and doing everything else other than keeping up on fitness at elite levels.

There is zero excuse for this. You are paid MILLIONS to play a game, and your only responsibility is to be in the greatest shape of your life when the puck drops. It was painfully evident that Richards was absolutely in horrible shape at the start of the season. But the fact that his body never recovered is because he doesn't have the time to work out DURING the season. That type of intense cardio, and weight work, etc has to be done harder in the off season so your body can rest and rebuild itself. All he has during the season are the practices and the games.

As he gets older now, its even more important. I think he realized this for the first time this year that you can't sit around in the off season and be ok a few weeks into the season. The body doesn't run the same way at 32 that it does when its 22.

I have wanted him gone from this team since the start of this year. The ONLY second chance I will give him is if the Rangers decide to NOT buy him out this summer, and he uses this past season as inspiration during the summer to work with an on ice/off ice trainer, and get into insane, tip top physical shape, and he comes into training camp like a beast, this could potentially turn him around.

I think this is possible because I find it hard to believe he is physically finished at his age 32-33 now. If he was 37-38 that would be different. I will give him one summer of hard, intense work and see what he has next season. If next season he is just as brutal, then he is as good as gone.
 
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That is unrelated to what I am talking about. I'm talking about his play in game. Not what he did in the offseason. He is not a lazy or disinterested player in game. Maybe his legs aren't there now. Maybe he's just a different type of player than he used to be but he tries.

It's also extremely unfair to comment on what he did in the offseason as you have no way of knowing what he did on a day to day basis and how hard he did or did not work. And if you say you do it's mere speculation and exaggerating on other situations that you heard about. I'm sure plenty of players went on vacation - I know there are pictures of him there. Just because you saw a picture or heard a comment that he was away doesn't mean he wasn't working out at other times, skating at other times, working out while away etc.
 
SA16 said:
That is unrelated to what I am talking about. I'm talking about his play in game. Not what he did in the offseason. He is not a lazy or disinterested player in game. Maybe his legs aren't there now. Maybe he's just a different type of player than he used to be but he tries.

It's also extremely unfair to comment on what he did in the offseason as you have no way of knowing what he did on a day to day basis and how hard he did or did not work. And if you say you do it's mere speculation and exaggerating on other situations that you heard about. I'm sure plenty of players went on vacation - I know there are pictures of him there. Just because you saw a picture or heard a comment that he was away doesn't mean he wasn't working out at other times, skating at other times, working out while away etc.
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You're right, I don't know exactly...but it is pretty evident that he was not doing what a guy like Stamkos and others were.
 
You pay me $12 million and ill be at the gym all day sleeping under the bench press. There's no excuse for a player of his reputation. Conn Smythe winner, clutch 1c, 90 point season 3 years ago, 77 in 72 2 years ago. Either this Stone Age hockey has sent him to a different dimension or his body is washed up. I don't believe in him anymore, and frankly am disgusted he threw away his reputation over 40 games. He may still have another gear in him, but if I'm Sather, I try to salvage some respect for this organization and buy him out. If he comes back to form with 70 points on a different team, than we all know what to do with Torts. Things will get interesting.
 
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First Man In said:
You pay me $12 million and ill be at the gym all day sleeping under the bench press. There's no excuse for a player of his reputation. Conn Smythe winner, clutch 1c, 90 point season 3 years ago, 77 in 72 2 years ago. Either this Stone Age hockey has sent him to a different dimension or his body is washed up. I don't believe in him anymore, and frankly am disgusted he threw away his reputation over 40 games. He may still have another gear in him, but if I'm Sather, I try to salvage some respect for this organization and buy him out. If he comes back to form with 70 points on a different team, than we all know what to do with Torts. Things will get interesting.
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So you're disgusted of your own opinion?
 
htk30 said:
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. :sarcasm:
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haha dude she broke up with him in early January.

http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/olivia_munn_and_brad_richards_split_zXckuGmqlWp1GPerER5TeK

Unfortunately, I think unless he finds Gary Roberts in the summer, he may be done.

Honestly we should give him an option:

1. Go to Gary Roberts' camp

2. Get bought out

I think there has to be some kind of plan. We can't simply let things be status quo and hope he turns it around. He appears to be breaking down both mentally AND physically.
 
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JCresty said:
You cannot write off a player after 40 bad games. Period.
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I agree with that. What's most concerning to me is the apparent mental break down he's having. I'm not saying he's going crazy. It's just amazing that a guy with this pedigree would sink so low so fast.
 
People keep saying that he's trying, but again, where are the reports of him putting in any extra effort? Is it an issue of him working away from practices where the media are or is it an issue of them not reporting it? It just seems odd to me that he sulks so hard but we never hear about him working extra hard.
 
It would be nice to hear that he was at the optional today if he's so distraught.

Moore was there. Powe was there. Where's Brad?
 
haveandare said:
People keep saying that he's trying, but again, where are the reports of him putting in any extra effort? Is it an issue of him working away from practices where the media are or is it an issue of them not reporting it? It just seems odd to me that he sulks so hard but we never hear about him working extra hard.
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Like every great athlete, he just needs a montage
 
Maybe it's his conditioning--maybe not. I really have no idea what he did or didn't do during the summer or of the months of lockout. He looks very ordinary right now. Ordinary doesn't cut it with a $6.7 mil per 9 year contract. We went through this with Drury--it's okay if the guy is getting paid Brian Boyle money. He's not. He's being paid big $ to be a leader not only on the statistical front but on and off the ice. He's not doing that--or all of that.

And he's had chance to build chemistry with Nash, Gaborik, Callahan and now even Clowe. All very good players--Nash and Gaborik legit 1st line snipers. He's not been able to do that and Stepan has. When Stepan gets new linemates he clicks with them. Richards has not been able to bring real chemistry with his wingers for any length of time no matter who we're talking about.

It may be that the Rangers give him another chance next year. Even if he has a good season next year though they'd be better off seriously thinking about cutting him loose afterwards. Any Rangers fan with eyes to see can see decline--if not next year then we have his cap hit for 6 years after--that's not worth the gamble.
 
You can see it in his face when he does his interviews that he's never been through anything like this before. He's never lost this much confidence or played this bad for an extended period of time. Nowhere to go but up, and as far as I'm concerned...if we make the playoffs...he gets a clean slate to resurrect his reputation.
 
Richards is still our #1 C. He's better at faceoffs than Stepan, even if Stepan has turned into a better two-way player.

Our biggest problem with Richards is that, since he's not going well, he's not playing with our top offensive talent. It's kind of a chicken-egg conundrum, how can he get going if he's not playing with our best forwards, and how can he play with our best forwards if he's not playing well.

I think he'll be fine, I expect him on the team next year and unless the NHL bends on the cap-recapture provisions, next year will be his last with us.

Then, while we'll be glad to be rid of his cap hit, we'll still have an enormous void for a #1, and end up in this cycle all over again.
 
Richards being better at faceoffs doesn't make him a current 1C over Stepan. Stepan has been infinitely better than him this year. At everything hockey related, other than faceoffs.
 
Bluenote13 said:
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 :D
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I would say Stepan as the de facto #1, then Richards and Brassard as two decent but flawed 2C/3C tweeners. At least until someone else steps up. I could see us rolling with that until Richards gets bought out, with Miller (after spending next year on the wing) or Lindberg (after spending the start in CT and the end on the 3rd/4th line) taking his spot.

Bluenote13 said:
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 !?
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I think the the first bold is connected to the second. Since Torts will roll 3 lines consistently the only "cutting" of his ice time we will see is on the PP. There is not much about Torts that inspires confidence for me but I could see him permanently bumping him off the 1st unit. Right now he is leading the NYR in PP ice time. For at least the rest of this year that has to change.

Most of this is just academic. Even if Richards was performing at a high level, having a 32 year old locked up for 7 more years is not acceptable under the new CBA and its retirement rules. So he gets likely bought out in '14 no matter what. Lets just hope he sees another potential payday (elsewhere) and goes nuts in his last year as a Ranger.

He looked great towards the end of the year and the playoffs. I think he has it in him.
 
Richards is a 50/50 guy on face-offs this year. Better than Stepan at that? Yep--but not by that much. Stepan has been improving on face-offs from year to year.
 
eco's bones said:
Richards is a 50/50 guy on face-offs this year. Better than Stepan at that? Yep--but not by that much. Stepan has been improving on face-offs from year to year.
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3.5 percentage points is a big difference in terms of faceoffs. Stepan has improved from year to year but he's gone from by far worst in the league (38.5% rookie year) to just really below average. Not saying I don't think he can get good at them - it seems like it's something if you practice and work hard enough on you can learn to do well but as of now he is awful at them and Richards is a much better option on big faceoffs.
 
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