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Should Brad Richards be a healthy scratch?

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Rekin said:
It's incredible that he's just 33 and looks older than Jágr or Selänne out there. But that said, he still has the veteran qualities and it's too late now to replace someone like that. Whether he should still remain for another year is a question mark, but for this run for the cup he will remain important no matter what.
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Hes played a lot of hockey and 33-34 is when it starts to show especially when you're in a deep run

Overall I thought he had a decent season but he wont get any better than that


Jagr is a freak of nature
 
Richards is one of the biggest reasons the start to our series was not worse than it was, he was huge for us the first games when no one else was.

That being said, he's awful now, but he's playing under AV the redeemer. Richards will not be scratched unless he rips off his Rangers jersey to reveal his secret LA one beneath at 3-3 in the third period with 5 minutes to go, beats Hank down with his stick in glee, and lobs the puck in our own net.

Then AV might consider sitting him a couple shifts
 
hattrick3518 said:
Who replaces him if he is bought out? Seriously.

Don't answer with free agent, X, Y, Z. Who from within the organization?
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JT Miller, who shouldn't have ever been taken out of the lineup in the first place. He's played better as a winger but has a lot of experience playing center too. His weakness at center is his defensive positioning and faceoffs, but Brad Richards is horrible at those things so it's not like we're getting worse there. Miller has a tendency to turn the puck over, but hey so does Richards! Miller at least provides speed and energy to a line that is being held back horribly by Richards, and he's had two assists in his four playoff games so far. It's not like he played poorly.

Next year, Oscar Lindberg. He's a natural center and would probably be a good steady presence that will let Hagelin and St. Louis do their own thing. Although ideally St. Louis will be able to move up and play with one of the other lines.
 
petejudge said:
JT Miller, who shouldn't have ever been taken out of the lineup in the first place. He's played better as a winger but has a lot of experience playing center too. His weakness at center is his defensive positioning and faceoffs, but Brad Richards is horrible at those things so it's not like we're getting worse there. Miller has a tendency to turn the puck over, but hey so does Richards! Miller at least provides speed and energy to a line that is being held back horribly by Richards, and he's had two assists in his four playoff games so far. It's not like he played poorly.

Next year, Oscar Lindberg. He's a natural center and would probably be a good steady presence that will let Hagelin and St. Louis do their own thing. Although ideally St. Louis will be able to move up and play with one of the other lines.
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Definitely disagree with this...I think Miller has looked much more promising at center. His defensive deficiencies are more obvious there, but his offensive game is much better at C as opposed to wing. It keeps him involved in the play.

Miller really reminds me of Kreider in a lot of ways. They're pretty different players, but I think they have a similar attitude/mindset. Once it clicks, it'll click big time.
 
Mikos87 said:
He dogged it last night. I can't understand with everything that is on the line, that Richards is having a bad hockey day.

It's not that he can't skate, but he wasn't trying. Last night he went through the motions and it cost the team the game. He feels the tiniest bit of pressure and he'll turn the puck over.

Also for the 3rd time in the last 2 playoffs, a goal was scored in OT because John Moore couldn't tie up a stick. Learning curve is a very long one with that one.
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I agree. Combination of him not being able to skate and not trying 100 percent. Its so true when he feels an opposing player creeping up on him he immediately turns over the puck.
 
BrianBoyle said:
Definitely disagree with this...I think Miller has looked much more promising at center. His defensive deficiencies are more obvious there, but his offensive game is much better at C as opposed to wing. It keeps him involved in the play.

Miller really reminds me of Kreider in a lot of ways. They're pretty different players, but I think they have a similar attitude/mindset. Once it clicks, it'll click big time.
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Miller's future is as a center, but I think his game as a winger is more pro-ready right now. He even has said himself he feels more comfortable as a winger because he hasn't quite developed defensively at the center position. I'm not saying he can't be a center long-term, but if you're asking me TODAY I'd rather have him on the wing. That said, he's our best option at 3C for tomorrow.
 
no way in hell that Richards gets scratched. none. nada. ziltch. He's the defacto Captain and wears a letter. Scratch him from game 3 of the SCF? Not a chance. you run with the horses that got you there, win or lose.
 
I would love if this happened. I think he stinks and lucks out on the majority of the points he gets.
 
I've seen men in their late 40s at the local rink skate better/faster than Richards last night. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. But he's the "de-facto" captain based on nothing more than past achievements with another franchise so I guess we better accept him being in the lineup for at least as long as this season goes.
 
BR could score 20 goals in the next 4 games, have the Rangers win the cup..and it would still be a 100% gimme to buy him out.
 
You dance with the girl that brought ya.

Richards plays. He's been part of this team's success all year and has a great PO resume...and there's no one to replace him who will bring as much to the team anyway.
 
No.

But last game was one of the worst games I've ever seen him as a Ranger.

End of the day, both Richards/Nash need to be off this team next season. That's $14.4M that could be better spent on players who can better contribute to a Stanley Cup run. A SUCCESSFUL one.

Richards was good against the Flyers and Penguins. After that, he's run out of gas. Nothing left in the tank.

Nash has been useless in three of the four series. And Richards has been useless in two of the four series.

Can't scratch Richards though. Whether fans want to admit it or not, we don't get to the Conference Finals without him. He was arguably our best forward against the Flyers and scored the Game 7 game winning goal against the Penguins.
 
RangerBoy said:
The Rangers have nobody better than Richards right now. He needs to get his ass together and drink those protein drinks. Maybe give him a B12 shot for some energy. How can he be tired? The Rangers had 5 days off. Played on Wednesday. Two days off. Played last night.
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He certainly looks tired. Or has he lost his confidence? Or a combination of both .... that turnover that led to the first LA goal Saturday - my god. It was one of those slow motion disaster sequences.

Best idea is to keep him off the PP if he stays in the lineup (which I think he does). Limit his ice time. Put a real defenseman on the point.

He does hold back Hags and St. Louis.
 
can we stop using the word cancer to describe Richards and Nash.

It's not even close to describing either player.

Are they good players? In Richards case, No. He's done. But that does not mean he's a cancer.

Nash? Would I want more production from him? Yes, but he's played very well despite not scoring.

Teams do not get to the finals with one cancer on the team let alone two. Both players are looked up to and well liked on this team. They cause no friction within the group.

Avery (and I like him) was a cancer. Richards is not. Nash is not.

Can we do away with that as a lable for these two guys?
 
Xref said:
no way in hell that Richards gets scratched. none. nada. ziltch. He's the defacto Captain and wears a letter. Scratch him from game 3 of the SCF? Not a chance. you run with the horses that got you there, win or lose.
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This.

AND I might add...

THERE IS NO RELLACEMENT... So... There's that.

It's a moot point. If JT was ready maybe... But he's not so what's the discussion about? He had **** game. We move on and in the offseason he will be bought out. I'm no fan of his, but he's still a leader on this team. Like it or not.
 
Trxjw said:
There's nobody to replace him with.
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I'd rather have Miller. People talk about how he's not ready defensively, well, Brad Richards is an embarrassment defensively. If we're to blame one player for Saturday's loss, it's him. He was atrocious on 2 goals against (including the winner) and he destroyed the power play we received in OT. Also had a few turnovers where LUndqvist saved him.

Also, I have never seen a veteran center be so bad at face-offs.

I'm not big on whipping boys, but jeez. Anyone complaining about Rick Nash and not Richards should have their head examined.
 
First, there is about a zero chance Richards sits in the Stanley Cup finals. Second, who would you really want to take up those minutes. Then who takes the replacement's minutes. Then who takes the replacement's replacement's minutes. I get the fact that he's not playing well. I get that for a couple shifts someone else may look better. I get that he's been a disappointment. What I've always believed is you just don't throw anyone out there on a top line and that guy who scores goals on the third line doesn't always translates into as much success on a top line, when other teams' best defenses are trying to shut you down, and defensive forwards are sometimes out there to slow you down. What happens at the end of the season? He plays the season. St. Louis, I believe, was brought in to salvage that investment. He was a centerman on a team that is playing in the Stanley Cup finals. He doesn't get bought out this offseason.
 
AHB said:
I'd rather have Miller. People talk about how he's not ready defensively, well, Brad Richards is an embarrassment defensively. If we're to blame one player for Saturday's loss, it's him. He was atrocious on 2 goals against (including the winner) and he destroyed the power play we received in OT. Also had a few turnovers where LUndqvist saved him.

Also, I have never seen a veteran center be so bad at face-offs.

I'm not big on whipping boys, but jeez. Anyone complaining about Rick Nash and not Richards should have their head examined.
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I understand the lure of wanting a kid to take his spot in the lineup, but Miller has shown again and again that he's not ready for the NHL, and he has been unable to earn the trust of the coaching staff. As bad as Richards has been, there is the real possibility that Miller can be much worse, and if he comes in and makes a huge gaff in the SCF, that can completely destroy a kid's confidence.

He looks terrible, but we really have no other option.
 
his line is getting schooled by 3rd liners, williams maybe more of a 2nd liner but still. At home they can match up their own way but i'd break that line as it's just sucks.
 
Xref said:
no way in hell that Richards gets scratched. none. nada. ziltch. He's the defacto Captain and wears a letter. Scratch him from game 3 of the SCF? Not a chance. you run with the horses that got you there, win or lose.
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...and who was the guy who led the team to surround the Prince of Wales trophy about 10 days ago. No way he's getting scratched unless he's injured and if he gets injured we can't amnesty him. Better he's in the lineup--you got to go with the guys who got you there.
 
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