Confirmed with Link: Rangers sign UDFA Justin Richards
- Thread starter RangersFan1994
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So with these kinds of guys, look at someone like Steven Fogarty. He was underwhelming in the BCHL and played four offensively inept years at Notre Dame. But he played a pro-style game and worked hard over 200 feet, and by all accounts had great character. I said throughout his career that his game was pro-ready and we shouldn't consider him a non-prospect.
Khodorenko, I don't know that much about. Richards I have watched many times as a former coworker/good friend has a son who plays D on UMD. He has a great motor, he's smart, active all over the ice. Wears an A. Just plays a polished game. Rueschhoff I've seen a couple times, only remember him as the giant kid. Anyway. None of them post crazy numbers. None of them are in Jimmy Vesey territory; more like Vinni Lettieri territory. Not a lot of guys make it posting numbers like them.
But back to Fogarty. Guy is thisclose to being a legitimate 4C in the NHL. He's just a split second too slow to see and react to things when he has the puck. The fact that he even made it to that point--if you just look at his stats and "what type" of player he is--it would be incomprehensible to think he even had a few cups of coffee. But if you watched him, over his career in college, you'd know that it wasn't a fluke, that he always had a chance to make it despite his unimpressive output. So, am I saying hopefully we signed a bunch of Fogarty-type players? No, I'm not (though that would be just fine). I'm saying these guys whose numbers don't blow you away often times still have very real NHL potential, whether it's as a Lettieri or Fogarty who are great AHL players but can't really do it in the NHL, or a Josh Manson or Tyler Bozak who are definitely NHL players, or something else.
Also, the Rangers probably wouldn't give them an NHL ELC unless they thought they actually had NHL potential. You can fill out an AHL team with great AHL players using AHL contracts and NHL minimum contracts on more established guys. You don't hand ELCs to guys you think have no shot at the NHL, but who might become good AHL players.
Long story short, this kid has NHL potential in a bottom six capacity, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Khodorenko, I don't know that much about. Richards I have watched many times as a former coworker/good friend has a son who plays D on UMD. He has a great motor, he's smart, active all over the ice. Wears an A. Just plays a polished game. Rueschhoff I've seen a couple times, only remember him as the giant kid. Anyway. None of them post crazy numbers. None of them are in Jimmy Vesey territory; more like Vinni Lettieri territory. Not a lot of guys make it posting numbers like them.
But back to Fogarty. Guy is thisclose to being a legitimate 4C in the NHL. He's just a split second too slow to see and react to things when he has the puck. The fact that he even made it to that point--if you just look at his stats and "what type" of player he is--it would be incomprehensible to think he even had a few cups of coffee. But if you watched him, over his career in college, you'd know that it wasn't a fluke, that he always had a chance to make it despite his unimpressive output. So, am I saying hopefully we signed a bunch of Fogarty-type players? No, I'm not (though that would be just fine). I'm saying these guys whose numbers don't blow you away often times still have very real NHL potential, whether it's as a Lettieri or Fogarty who are great AHL players but can't really do it in the NHL, or a Josh Manson or Tyler Bozak who are definitely NHL players, or something else.
Also, the Rangers probably wouldn't give them an NHL ELC unless they thought they actually had NHL potential. You can fill out an AHL team with great AHL players using AHL contracts and NHL minimum contracts on more established guys. You don't hand ELCs to guys you think have no shot at the NHL, but who might become good AHL players.
Long story short, this kid has NHL potential in a bottom six capacity, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
All 3 got signed to NHL contracts for a reason so they have some potential I would think
All 3 new college undrafted free agents got signed to NHL contracts for a reason so they have some NHL potential in my opinion
Good Intentions
Registered User
- Mar 30, 2018
- 2,154
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I read Khodorenko as Kovalenko, and then Fedotenko. We are getting old.
Right. Don't get me wrong, we've made signings of guys where I've said, this is stupid, this kid has no chance. Signings that seemed bad at the time would be someone like Josh Nicholls, or maybe Dawson Leedahl or Troy Donnay or someone. But generally speaking, you're not going to go handing ELCs to UDFA players unless your scouts tell you they have a chance.
Matz03
Registered User
So you think they gave have him an nhl contract expecting him to never have chance at even bottom of lineup role? finding ahl bodies is never a problem.
Matz03
Registered User
I like that he’s the same exact height as Sidney Crosby.
Matz03
Registered User
Man their making ufa splashes left and right, Richards, Khodorenko, Rueschhoff, and they still have 3 7th round picks!
Matz03
Registered User
Sarcasm aside, I do like these udfa signings, we have to move on from a few guys still in the system. And I do like the upside and value out of 3 7th rounders.
It is pretty clear what the plan is for these UDFA signings. The organization knows they have the top 6 pretty set for the foreseeable future. Even the top 9 is in good shape although you can move some of the pieces around in the sense that you could see a current 3rd liner (Chytil/Kakko) force their way into the top 6. But that would also mean you moved one or both of Strome and Buchnevich. And Fast, even if re-signed belongs in the bottom 6. So thats pretty much a swap there.
But its clear they are trying to add enough pieces through the draft (Henriksson, Edstrom, etc) and signings to build a solid and cheap bottom 6, more specifically 4th line. With guys that can also be capable of filling in for the top 9 during injuries. Very much like how Tampa has done things.
And if anything, Hartford should reap the benefits of adding to their depth. Flushing out some of the players that are not cutting it and getting older.
Joey Bones
***** 2k16
Yeah I think defensively he's got it, but I would hope for some offensive potential, too. I agree, though, when watching Minny-Duluth, he was a beast for them!!
darko
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- Feb 16, 2009
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That's 1C Boo Nieves you are talking about.
Young forward who excels defensively? Sign me up.
I don’t care if he’s talentless like Ortymeyer or Betts; we could absolutely use a forward of that mold in our system.
A lot of people don’t give a damn about bottom 6 forwards, until they realize they don’t have many, and the few they do are overpaid.
I don’t watch enough NCAA to know much about Richards like some of ya, but this is a signing you can’t really complain about. (Unless you’re that poster from a few weeks ago freaking out about the number of contracts we’re at).
I don’t care if he’s talentless like Ortymeyer or Betts; we could absolutely use a forward of that mold in our system.
A lot of people don’t give a damn about bottom 6 forwards, until they realize they don’t have many, and the few they do are overpaid.
I don’t watch enough NCAA to know much about Richards like some of ya, but this is a signing you can’t really complain about. (Unless you’re that poster from a few weeks ago freaking out about the number of contracts we’re at).
Barnaby
Registered User
We have the contract space. It only makes sense to take some swings. Maybe we get one NHL player out of every 10 such guys. Batting .100 is still a lot better than .000. Good skater, high IQ, character player winner - I could think of worse things to do with that contract slot.
eco's bones
Registered User
Richards has had three years at UMD--not 4 and his first two years UMD won the NCAA championship and this year of course the tournament was cancelled. That's quite a lot of success. Again not too many players for UMD put up big numbers. Sandelin rolls his lines and from my infrequent viewings of his team they try to smother the other team on the forecheck which is what happened to UMass-Amherst last year in the championship game and keep in mind Amherst had Cole Makar and also Mario Ferraro (who played quite a bit with the Sharks this year) on their D and they could hardly put two passes together all game without their attack being disrupted.
NCAA free agents can be a funny thing--Noel Acciari somewhat unheralded comes out of Providence College and turns into a dynamic 4th liner for the Bruins. There are numerous stories like that making it and I think that's kind of the thing the Rangers might be hoping for with Richards. A disciplined hardworking defensive minded forward. This for sure I wouldn't necessarily be giving Khodorenko an edge over Richards.
NCAA free agents can be a funny thing--Noel Acciari somewhat unheralded comes out of Providence College and turns into a dynamic 4th liner for the Bruins. There are numerous stories like that making it and I think that's kind of the thing the Rangers might be hoping for with Richards. A disciplined hardworking defensive minded forward. This for sure I wouldn't necessarily be giving Khodorenko an edge over Richards.
UMD was a very good team to watch. Perunivich is going to be a really good NHLer for the Blues. Noah Cates is another player for them. It's interesting I couldn't really name a lot of the guys on that team, but they played a very advanced pro style system for college hockey. I don't know much about Richards at all, but really like the signing. HFD is going to have a lot of slots open up, and the Rangers legitimately need bottom 6 players that can play at both the AHL and NHL level.
IMO the following guys aren't going to be brought back or tendered:
- Belesky
- Haley
- Lettieri
- O'Regan
- Nieves
- Leedahl
- Gropp
- Crawley
- Fontaine
- Fogarty
- Ebert
SingnBluesOnBroadway
Retired
This is well-spotted and well said. And it's been a bit of a blind spot in the organization.
while some don't like these moves, I do. I still have some hope for a guy like Vinni Lettieri
I think the Rangers bring him back considering he scored goals for Hartford, he has the skill. i think he can be an NHL player at some point as a late bloomer.
SO he was the best player in his league 2 yrs straight ? Or one of ... yet not a top prospect so it’s a weaker league?
BKGooner
Registered User
- Jun 23, 2017
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How dare you. Boo is a 1c who never got a shot.
Tawnos
A guy with a bass
From what I've read, the edge that Khodorenko has is that he could be a middle-6 guy, even with that possibility being unlikely, whereas Richards is destined to be a bottom-6 guy. I think both seem to be on the same level in terms of likelihood to make it at all, which is of course slim.
no one thought Jed Ortmeyer made it when he was signed. so maybe one of these guys can surprise and stick with the Rangers. better than signing the old McKegg Haley Carey types
