Brad Richards

[KreiMeARiver*]

He's still having a better year than Nash.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

Good game by Richards last night. If the least he can do for us in the playoffs is be a PP specialist, he's worth his weight.

I still don't understand the Stastny hate. All we'd be doing is upgrading Richards for a younger, better version of Richards if we bought out Brad and signed Stastny. This team badly needs better face off men; Stastny has been consistently over .500 his entire career, and currently has 58 points in 68 games. That's extremely solid production for a defensively responsible, faceoff winning C

I see no reason not to buy out Brad and sign him

 

[Jabroni]

Good game by Richards last night. If the least he can do for us in the playoffs is be a PP specialist, he's worth his weight.

I still don't understand the Stastny hate. All we'd be doing is upgrading Richards for a younger, better version of Richards if we bought out Brad and signed Stastny. This team badly needs better face off men; Stastny has been consistently over .500 his entire career, and currently has 58 points in 68 games. That's extremely solid production for a defensively responsible, faceoff winning C

I see no reason not to buy out Brad and sign him

Because you can't do that. Imagine what kind of a loophole that would be. You have to wait a year.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Because you can't do that. Imagine what kind of a loophole that would be. You have to wait a year.

I interpreted that as him saying we should buy out Richards and sign Stastny, but I could be wrong.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

Because you can't do that. Imagine what kind of a loophole that would be. You have to wait a year.

Haha nope, I said buyout Brad and sign Stastny. It probably became unclear when I said I thought that Stastny is a younger, better version of Richards currently. My apologies

 

[Jabroni]

Haha nope, I said buyout Brad and sign Stastny. It probably became unclear when I said I thought that Stastny is a younger, better version of Richards currently. My apologies

Oh, whoops. Sorry. I read it as buy him out and then re-sigb him.

 

[offdacrossbar]

beever isnt a problem. hes been, for the most part, pretty solid if you dont look at his production ratio vs his awful albatross contract.

if we had any shooters on this team at all, he would have a bunch more primary assists.

he isnt very good defensively and i dont see that discussed here that much. offensively, hes been pretty good.

even strength beever isnt very good anyore but pp beever is still money. hes a good passer and his shot is still pretty money.

hes a buyout casualty and thats not because of his play as much as his contract.

 

[n8]

pretty sure if his AAV was like $3.5M, most everyone would be happy with him. $6.667M for the next 6 years is a bit of a problem though.

 

[AHB*]

He stinks

 

[OverTheCap]

He has a good game every now and then but not nearly often enough to justify keeping him. His skating has deteriorated since the Olympic break.

He is also one of the worst defenders on the team... we saw last season that he cannot play 4th line center because he does not play the type of two-way, heavy forecheck game that is required of that position. So when his offensive game really tails off, he will be unable to play on the 4th line like Drury did towards the end of his career.

 

[KingWantsCup]

Bumpity bump bump bump...

Richards has been great in the playoffs this year. I'm not in the in the locker room obviously but I think that he's been our biggest leader on a captainless team.

Given our void at captain, his emerging leadership, and underwhelming free agency options at center, I think It's possible that not only Richards doesn't get bought out, but that he also gets the C.

 

[shoves]

I dont understand how people claim Richards has been "great" in playoffs? I can name atleast 5 guys on the team that has been better than Richards. Which is really bad, when you take his 6,7 mill caphit into consideration.

He should be as important to us as Kane, Toews, Lucic ++ are to their respective teams. Richards is imo our 3rd best center. Thats not "great". Thats far from good enough.

Personally, i hope Sather gathers a pick or two for Richards this summer. We have alot of other contracts to renew, and players like Zucc and Stralman will get their salary increased. We that money elsewhere. Keeping Richards may result a bigger loss than getting rid of him.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

I dont understand how people claim Richards has been "great" in playoffs? I can name atleast 5 guys on the team that has been better than Richards. Which is really bad, when you take his 6,7 mill caphit into consideration.

Yeah, it's not like he leads us in points or anything.

As one of Richards harshest critics over the past two years, I cannot say he has been anything short of very good thus far in the playoffs. For my money, he's been our best center, and I'm certain that he has a huge influence in the locker room. This Rangers team is fairly green outside of a few players. He's one of three guys on the team with a Stanley Cup, his experience is a huge positive on the younger, more inexperienced players on the team.

I am still 100% for buying out Richards this offseason, but anyone who says or believes he has not been one of our better players is clearly just pushing an agenda.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

We win a cup and br can stay.

 

[trilobyte]

The Rangers would probably not be fighting it out in the second round without Richards. He has been pretty intense through the playoffs. Yes, he is slow, and I even comment on how slow he can be in a footrace, but he is playing like a leader.

 

[Mikos87]

I don't think its impossible.

This is his 3rd year here.

1st year team is great, makes it conference finals, but gets worn out and loses because the team was 3 lines and 5 D deep.

2nd year, team loses in 2nd round to Boston while missing their version of Chara and Lucic (Staal and Clowe).

3rd year, its not all set, but lets say the Rangers beat the pens, and make to the conference finals, or better yet, the cup finals.

Richards plays the point on the powerplay and a top 6 center role on each of those teams. Is it a bad idea to keep him or is it a step back to cut him and not be able to replace him?

Let's not forget Steve Yzerman didn't win cups in Detroit as a top line center, but as a 2nd line center because thats what those teams needed. Granted he was a PPG center, but at one point he was a 1.4 ppg player until Bowman started coaching and it was a higher scoring era.

 

[aufheben]

I dont understand how people claim Richards has been "great" in playoffs? I can name atleast 5 guys on the team that has been better than Richards. Which is really bad, when you take his 6,7 mill caphit into consideration.

He should be as important to us as Kane, Toews, Lucic ++ are to their respective teams. Richards is imo our 3rd best center. Thats not "great". Thats far from good enough.

Personally, i hope Sather gathers a pick or two for Richards this summer. We have alot of other contracts to renew, and players like Zucc and Stralman will get their salary increased. We that money elsewhere. Keeping Richards may result a bigger loss than getting rid of him.

Name these 5 guys, pls.

 

[Cobra Jack*]

Brad Richards is a hero. He defeated Killian in the Running Man competition and now he's gunning for a cup. His awesomeness cannot be overstated.

 

[KingWantsCup]

Yeah, it's not like he leads us in points or anything.

As one of Richards harshest critics over the past two years, I cannot say he has been anything short of very good thus far in the playoffs. For my money, he's been our best center, and I'm certain that he has a huge influence in the locker room. This Rangers team is fairly green outside of a few players. He's one of three guys on the team with a Stanley Cup, his experience is a huge positive on the younger, more inexperienced players on the team.

I am still 100% for buying out Richards this offseason, but anyone who says or believes he has not been one of our better players is clearly just pushing an agenda.

Financially speaking you can probably justify a Richards CBO even if we win the cup and he gets the Smythe, I'm just not sure who is supposed to replace him though, both in a performance and leadership sense. Stastny has huge mistake written all over him as far as the long term is concerned (worse than Richards' contract if you want to compare them) and I'm not sure who is out there as a viable replacement center with top end potential. Kadri? He's kind of a head case from what I've heard. Also brings no leadership experience really.

We all thought Sather was nuts for not buying BR out last summer and potentially risking a Richards injury which could prevent a CBO, but he made the right move. We are probably not out of the first round without his leadership and performance, with a heavier emphasis on his leadership in truth, although his performance has been great.

The fact of the matter is that the Rangers are facing an inevitable downturn in play within the next four years. Sather may not care about the tail end of the BR contract as much because we're looking at an Old Hank (butterfly goalies don't age well), Old Girardi, and definitely no MSL anyway. Also right now we also have 0 killer prospects. In addition, Sather will likely not be here to deal with this future mess so if keeping BR means a better shot at the cup for the next few years I think he's just going to keep him.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

We win a cup and br can stay.

Honestly, I wonder if Sather told him before the playoffs: "go out there, win us a cup, and we won't compliance you this summer".

Personally, I'd take that trade off. Just put him at wing for the foreseeable future.

 

[jerseyjinx94]

Honestly, I wonder if Sather told him before the playoffs: "go out there, win us a cup, and we won't compliance you this summer".

Personally, I'd take that trade off. Just put him at wing for the foreseeable future.

Although I think it'd be crazy to not buy him out - of course you take that trade off lol

 

[Mikos87]

Honestly, I wonder if Sather told him before the playoffs: "go out there, win us a cup, and we won't compliance you this summer".

Personally, I'd take that trade off. Just put him at wing for the foreseeable future.

This is exactly what I think is going to happen. At some point, Miller will play center, but Richards and he will switch off and on depending on the game, and face offs.

Say late next season this is the Ranger line up at forward:

Nash-Stepan-MSL
Kreider-Richards-Miller
Pouliot-Brassard-Zucc
Hagelin-Moore-Fast

Is that not like having a legit top line, 2 2nd lines, and an extremely fast 3rd line?

I personally would like to say a scoring RH shot at forward in the line up. If Richards it bought out, and there is cap space, and WPG takes a package of JMoore, Kristo, Dorsett, and another asset:

Nash-Stepan-MSL
Kreider-Miller-Wheeler
Pouliot-Brassard-Zucc
Hagelin-Moore-Fast

Now that's speed and skill. Maybe not the best on face offs, but that lineup would give teams fits because of the speed factor.

 

[NewLife]

Although I really is appreciate his game and everything so far in play offs just thank him for the cup with a buy out, I mean a extra cup on his resume gotta be worth a couple of extra millions on his next contract.

I just can't take his contract for six more years.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

I want Paul freaking Stastny on this team. He was a monster for COL in their series against Minnesota. If that team didn't lose Barrie and had some better defensemen they win that series in 5 or 6.

The dude wins faceoffs, has finish, is an above average playmaker and can play defense. He would easily be the best C on our team. Stick Nash and MSL on his wings and I think you have one of the most formidable top lines in the league. Nash will benefit tremendously from some extra offensive zone faceoff wins, which Stepan isn't doing at nearly a high enough rate.

I appreciate everything Brad has done for the team the past few years, but when you sign a contract as big as he did you have to expect a buyout at some point. He's been great in the playoffs thus far but that contract is just brutal. I wish we could trade him because he definitely has value but that cap recapture totally sucks

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

I want Paul freaking Stastny on this team. He was a monster for COL in their series against Minnesota. If that team didn't lose Barrie and had some better defensemen they win that series in 5 or 6.

The dude wins faceoffs, has finish, is an above average playmaker and can play defense. He would easily be the best C on our team. Stick Nash and MSL on his wings and I think you have one of the most formidable top lines in the league. Nash will benefit tremendously from some extra offensive zone faceoff wins, which Stepan isn't doing at nearly a high enough rate

I mean, in theory, it sounds freaking awesome...but in theory never ever seems to come to fruition in reality.

On paper, I agree that Paul Stastny is a great fit for this team, especially considering it would move Stepan to the 2nd line, and he could really benefit from the lesser competition. Both are very good defensive players as well. It would be a quite formidable 1-2 punch, especially with Brassard at 3C.

Nash-Stastny-MSL
Kreider-Stepan-(Miller?, Hagelin?)
Pouliot-Brassard-Zuccarello
Boyle-Moore-Carcillo

Would be a great group of forwards. Second line could be beast if we get a RW for that unit. Not sure how it would work cap wise, though. Will do something on CapGeek to see if it's possible.