GDT: ECSF #4 - 5/23/13 | Boston Bruins @ New York Rangers | 7:00 PM - CNBC, TSN

[Maineice11]

I am ****ing psyched for this game. So pumped and ready to win. Lets do it boys.

So pumped!!! GIT R DUN!!!!! LET'S GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!! #NYRBELIEVE

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

That hate should be directed at the management who signed him.

This has been beaten to death.

This is not Glen Sather's fault. Anyone who thinks that is out of their mind.

The Rangers needed a top line center, so they signed a guy who put up 77 points in 72 games to an affordable and manageable cap hit.

It has been said by numerous posters in the Brad Richards thread, his decline is historic. That's nobodies fault but his piece of crap self.

I'm not going to spam his twitter, or create a darts board of his face, or boo him at the garden. I'm going to peacefully wait til they buy him out so I don't have to watch that travesty on the ice ever again in a Rangers uniform.

 

[LORDE]

This entire saga is so damn dissapointing.

Every writer is saying the buyout will happen... no one is answering the question: Ok... What happens after that?

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

...to be fair, you did say you wished him the worst. Woodchipper accidents involving limb loss is pretty much the worst.

Maybe I'm a little high-strung. It has been suggested.

Yes, but not in something outside of hockey. Come on now.

 

[Glennsoe]

Asham scratched is gonna be noticed/felt more than Brad being scratched..

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

Asham scratched is gonna be noticed/felt more than Brad being scratched..

Simply baffling. Asham has been great.

 

[LORDE]

Jesus Brad looks so depressed! I actually do feel for the guy. He looks like he just found out someone died.

 

[mti79]

One game at a time, one period at a time, one shift at a time. Play hard, play smart. Be aggressive. Don't take stupid penalties. I really don't think this team gets swept. Give the fans something to cheer for.

 

[nevesis]

Jesus Brad looks so depressed! I actually do feel for the guy. He looks like he just found out someone died.

Its sad. But not in a sad 'i feel bad for him' way. More like a sad 'he is ****ing pathetic' way.

Is this the mentality you normally see in a hockey player? Not the type of hockey players I know, and see throughout the league.

He is mentally weak. He can't handle this town, or serious pressure. He caves. That is a personality trait that can't be changed.

He HAS no personality. Same as Drury was. Captain Klonopin himself. Just dead to emotion.

I want a guy who has BALLS, not pansy players like Brad Richards who make $12 million dollars in a year, and then acts like his life sucks. FOH!!!

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

At least Drury would go out there and put his body on the line fore the team. Richards? At this point he's a poor-man's Erik Christensen.

 

[Dalagaze]

Going all-in on vBookie with the 825 vcash I got from going all-in vs the Caps


Make me a rich man, boys.

 

[Callagraves]

bet all 1096 of my vBookie.

Let's go?

 

[NYRKING30]

Why is Asham scratched?

 

[Kaapodonna]

I'm all in on the vBookie! LET'S GO RANGERS!!!!

 

[Clown Fiesta]

I fully expect Miller or Lindberg to fill that spot next season, and excel. Lindberg was being talked about as a SEL MVP this season, he really is underrated around here. He's going to turn heads like Stepan did his first year here.

I was going to mention them, but anticipated a response like the one below and didn't feel like defending two points at once.

I think this is wishful thinking. I really don't expect Brassard to maintain the level of play he has since he got here next season. His entire career has been full of inconsistent play staggered with bursts of brilliance. I've been warning since the trade, that though I liked it, people needed to temper their expectations. In a 2/3C tweener role, he's been great. Assuming he can be a good, exclusively 2C after just 23 games is a big leap.

And though I think Stepan may have a better shot at maintaining his performance next year than Brassard does, I also am not convinced that he comes back and replicates a near point per game pace next year. He's still developing, so who knows - but I think it is a huge risk to take to rely on him to continue this... He basically doubled the point pace he put up in any other season; that is a huge jump. It is also a contract year for him. Dubinsky's contract year ringing any bells? For the record: I don't think Step will regress like Dubi did after his contract, but I'm not convinced he is now a permanent ppg player based on one half season.

Understand, I'm not saying either are bad players -- I just think this is the kind of **** our fanbase (and our GM) does way too often: overrate players based on a limited sample size and some recent good performance. Kreider had a nice playoffs last year, and everyone - including our GM it seems - was slotting him into the lineup this year. He ends up not replicating that, and suddenly we're up ****'s creek with an unbalanced roster and missing pieces that need to be added at the deadline.

Bringing all this back to Richie though -- On one hand, I'm not terribly confident that he can rebound next year. On the other, I think it is reasonable that he may have been thrown off by a lockout shortened season and can at least partially rebound next year. In the end, I think it may be better to take that chance than to rely on Stepan and Brassard to continue the far and away best performances of their careers so far and getting a 3/4C. You've still got the option to buy him out next offseason.

At the very least, I'd like to know Sather has a plan - which I am not confident he does - for what to do to fill the hole in the lineup if he buys out Richards. I'm not saying he should go out and get another high-priced UFA (please god, Glen, don't go after Ribeiro), but I'm not confident that this team will be competitive with 1C: Stepan, 2C: Brassard, 3/4C: ??? 3/4C: Boyle. Seems like playing with fire.


Edit: It should also be noted, that Brassard has a sh % well above his career average since joining the Rangers (and a ridiculous sh% of 20% in the 13 regular season games he played with NYR). Stepan, likewise, has a sh% a decent amount higher than either of the other two full seasons he has played in the NHL. Just something to keep in mind.

Please. I'm not overrating either of them, I am just suggesting we try them out and see what happens. I'm not dumb enough to assume that Brassard is going to continue performing at a PPG pace. But he may not regress as much as you seem to think he will. Stepan has done nothing but improve season by season and while his playoff performance hasn't been stellar they both have been more consistent and overall better than Richards.

I think the best chance to take is the one that doesn't see us paying another underachieving player top dollar just hoping he will rebound when we could use that money to upgrade at other positions.

You're afraid of two young guys regressing yet you're willing to pay an already regressing veteran and continue to handcuff the payroll? We don't need Richards, or another big name, at least for one year...

At least Drury would go out there and put his body on the line fore the team. Richards? At this point he's a poor-man's Erik Christensen.

A rich man's Erik Christensen.

This has been beaten to death.

This is not Glen Sather's fault. Anyone who thinks that is out of their mind.

The Rangers needed a top line center, so they signed a guy who put up 77 points in 72 games to an affordable and manageable cap hit.

It has been said by numerous posters in the Brad Richards thread, his decline is historic. That's nobodies fault but his piece of crap self.

I'm not going to spam his twitter, or create a darts board of his face, or boo him at the garden. I'm going to peacefully wait til they buy him out so I don't have to watch that travesty on the ice ever again in a Rangers uniform.

This. Several other teams were willing to pay him equal or greater money. While I was afraid this was going to happen the safe bet was that he had at least three good years left in him and possibly more, last year wasn't his best but I attributed it to him playing in a new city and a new system. He should have been much better this year and wasn't. One thing I will say is that if you follow him on twitter or instagram his tweets/photos make me sick. I know a lot of guys go to basketball games and do other things during the season but it seems like he is more into hanging with Dolan, being a wine aficionado and chilling in the Hamptons than actually playing.

 

[Maineice11]

i'll go all in on the vbookie also!!!!

 

[Punxrocknyc19*]

At least Drury would go out there and put his body on the line fore the team. Richards? At this point he's a poor-man's Erik Christensen.

at least he is good in shootouts oh wait its the playoffs.. i wouldnt mind Christensen over Brad Richmez

 

[Kershaw]

At least Drury would go out there and put his body on the line fore the team. Richards? At this point he's a poor-man's Erik Christensen.

Uhh I don't know about poor man's EC. He's awful, but not that awful.

 

[Maineice11]

I believe if Haley and Newbury are both in, they will add a physical edge the Rangers appear to be missing...I also think the addition of Clowe would help as well...nothing to lose go all IN!!!!

 

[aufheben]

Haley - Newbury - Asham would have been cool.

 

[Punxrocknyc19*]

I was going to mention them, but anticipated a response like the one below and didn't feel like defending two points at once.



Please. I'm not overrating either of them, I am just suggesting we try them out and see what happens. I'm not dumb enough to assume that Brassard is going to continue performing at a PPG pace. But he may not regress as much as you seem to think he will. Stepan has done nothing but improve season by season and while his playoff performance hasn't been stellar they both have been more consistent and overall better than Richards.

I think the best chance to take is the one that doesn't see us paying another underachieving player top dollar just hoping he will rebound when we could use that money to upgrade at other positions.

You're afraid of two young guys regressing yet you're willing to pay an already regressing veteran and continue to handcuff the payroll? We don't need Richards, or another big name, at least for one year...



A rich man's Erik Christensen.



This. Several other teams were willing to pay him equal or greater money. While I was afraid this was going to happen the safe bet was that he had at least three good years left in him and possibly more, last year wasn't his best but I attributed it to him playing in a new city and a new system. He should have been much better this year and wasn't. One thing I will say is that if you follow him on twitter or instagram his tweets/photos make me sick. I know a lot of guys go to basketball games and do other things during the season but it seems like he is more into hanging with Dolan, being a wine aficionado and chilling in the Hamptons than actually playing.

i wonder what his excuse is that why he didnt play in the lockout to stay in competive shape... even Ovechkin went over to play somewhere during the lockout.. did Richards think that because he is a veteran that he needs rest

 

[NYRKING30]

Nope.

I'll probably get crap for this, but I wish Richards nothing but the worst.

I have never despised a player more.

Hate him for hockey player that is fine. Not a person that guy does so much work off the ice. He came down to my neighborhood twice during the hurricane. They played a scrimmage at si rangers skating pavilion. He lost his 8 year old cousin to brain cancer and donated a half mill under his name. I connect with him because I lost my girlfriend to brain cancer 2 years ago. He is a great man.

With that being said I am tired of seeing him in a Rangers jersey, besides for 2-3 months last year, he is worse then Scott Gomez.

 

[Clown Fiesta]

i wonder what his excuse is that why he didnt play in the lockout to stay in competive shape... even Ovechkin went over to play somewhere during the lockout.. did Richards think that because he is a veteran that he needs rest

Yep.

Hate him for hockey player that is fine. Not a person that guy does so much work off the ice. He came down to my neighborhood twice during the hurricane. They played a scrimmage at si rangers skating pavilion. He lost his 8 year old cousin to brain cancer and donated a half mill under his name. I connect with him because I lost my girlfriend to brain cancer 2 years ago. He is a great man.

With that being said I am tired of seeing him in a Rangers jersey, besides for 2-3 months last year, he is worse then Scott Gomez.

Definitely don't hate Richards and wish him the best. Just not working here and there is no reason whatsoever to drag it out any longer.

 

[Player big P]

Win or die.

 

[Punxrocknyc19*]

Hate him for hockey player that is fine. Not a person that guy does so much work off the ice. He came down to my neighborhood twice during the hurricane. They played a scrimmage at si rangers skating pavilion. He lost his 8 year old cousin to brain cancer and donated a half mill under his name. I connect with him because I lost my girlfriend to brain cancer 2 years ago. He is a great man.

With that being said I am tired of seeing him in a Rangers jersey, besides for 2-3 months last year, he is worse then Scott Gomez.

i dunno if he has been that bad... for anyone going to the game, once that they announce Richards as a scratch i hope to hear some cheers and some buy him out chants.... that should send a message