Is Brad Richards An Option For The Rangers?
by Ryan McFadden on Jul 21, 2009 7:00 AM EDT
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The Rangers may or may not be shopping for a number one center, but it's been suggested that the Rangers may target Brad Richards. Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks is learning that owning three pro sports franchises may not be the best idea. With these tough economic times, Hicks is in serious financial trouble and there have been some rumors that the Stars have set their own in-house salary cap in order to keep the payroll low. It's no secret that Brad Richards and John Tortorella have a great relationship going back to their Stanley Cup Championship with the Lightning. During that '03-'04 playoff run Richards played like man possessed posting 26 points in 23 games and winning the Conn Smythe. During the following '05-'06 season (frickin' lockout) he posted a career high 91 points and followed it up with a 70 point performance the next season.
Sather is doing his best to revamp the roster by adding scoring and players who the fit the Tortorella mold (although I'm not sure where Enver Lisin fits there). With the Stars possibly looking to dump salary and Richards relationship with Torts, it's easy to follow the bouncing ball and come to the conclusion that Richards might be a Rangers target.
Richards has two years remaining on his current deal with a cap hit of $7.8 million per. He uncharacteristically battled injuries last season with Stars, only managing to play 56 games. Despite the injuries, it's difficult to believe Richards won't be healthy this upcoming season. In his first six years in the NHL, Richards missed a grand total of two games. The past two seasons though he's only averaged 55 points, that's Scott Gomez territory. Also, any deal involving Richards would start with Brandon Dubinsky and a Michael Del Zotto or Ryan McDonagh type prospect. Plus the Rangers would have to include Michal Rozsival and/or waive Wade Redden in order to fit Richards under the cap. It would take a mathematical miracle for Richards to be a Ranger.
Sure Richards is a Torts favorite and he would be a nice fit with Marian Gaborik, but it's a bad idea. Acquiring Richards spits in the face of the Rangers NY style youth movement. Brandon Dubinsky deserves a shot at pivoting Gabs, he should be given the opportunity for good of the organization. If it doesn't work out, then next summer the Rangers can look for Marc Savard in free agency. Savard will have a lower cap hit and is arguably be better suited to be Gabs center than Richards is.
There is no reason for the Rangers to even try to take on Brad Richards. Unless of course Sather can grease Joe Nieuwendyk while also changing some mathematic principles..
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A Note
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brooks has been beating the drum for Richards for some time now, but as Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News noted over a week ago, talk of a Richards trade is coming out of New York, not Dallas, which means Brooks is the only one reporting Richards might be moved for financial reasons. No offense to Brooks, but Heika is closer to the Stars organization and would be in better position to know what’s going on with the team than a reporter based in New York.
Incidentenally, why are’t you sure where Lisin fit ? Looking at the roster it would seem where instantly !
by BryanE on Jul 21, 2009 8:09 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Not in the sense he doesn’t have a spot on the roster, but more that he doesn’t fit the Torts mold. He’s somewhere between piss poor and bad defensively and from what ’Yotes fans have said about him, he sounds a lot like Zherdev w/o the world class talent though.
by Ryan McFadden on Jul 21, 2009 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually, I think in Tort’s system not only will his speed be utilized to it’s fullest extent but I think his defense will actually improve. With such a small sample size to go on and how poor defensively Phoenix was as a whole I think we maybe pleasantly surprised at how well rounded a player he is, not to mention a “happy” player now that he has a new contract and a community of his fellow countryman around him neither of which Phoenix provided.
by BryanE on Jul 21, 2009 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Looks like you had a little trouble submitting your post, I deleted out the duplicates
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jul 21, 2009 8:17 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I meant BryanE, LOL
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jul 21, 2009 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thank god
I’ve been saying this for weeks now. Brad Richards is a ridiculous fantasy. Why would we jettison Gomez and his contractual albatross, and then immediately take on an even bigger contract for a worse player? Especially when the price would be Dubinsky. It just doesnt make sense on any level.
I think this is just an extension of some distant pipe dream people have that Dallas is actually interested in Redden. As reported by a Dallas source, they were only interested in him for around $4 million, not $6.5, and they sure as hell wouldnt want him now after seeing his play last season.
by Steeeve on Jul 21, 2009 9:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Bigger contract in $ only
It’s only about an extra .5m cap hit, and more importantly Richards is only signed through 10/11, whereas Gomez is signed somewhere into the 30th century. Not that I would cough up Dubinsky for a center 6 years older. Just pointing out that Gomez and Richards contracts aren’t apples to apples.
2010 class is LeBron-esque in the NHL anyway, Savard, Kovalchuk, Jokinen, Frolov, Marleau, Holmstrom (though I’m sure DET resigns him), Hejduk, Svatos.
Pretty much all of them paired with Gaborik would be pretty nasty.
by RangerSmurf on Jul 21, 2009 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
lets analyze that class. to me it has 2 excellent players in Kovy and Savard…Frolov could get to be an 75 pt scorer one day but Jokinen is not a winning player, Marleau would fold here, Hejduk will be 34 and Svatos is not improving.
by mleetch352 on Jul 21, 2009 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Savard will probably be the Rangers target next summer. Unless Dubinsky and Anisimov blow everyone away this season.
by Ryan McFadden on Jul 21, 2009 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Regardless
That contract was equally bad for salary as it was for length, and it’s one that we can no longer afford. I dont even think buying out Redden’s contract would give us enough cap space to fit almost $8 million more for Richards. So yeah, in this case it is apples to apples because we cant afford either player’s contract. Maybe Granny Smiths to Empires, but they’re still both apples.
We probably wont be able to afford any other big name players until Drury and Redden come off the books. There’s no way in hell we can even sniff Kovalchuk’s contract demands, especially not with another big group of RFAs next season.
by Steeeve on Jul 21, 2009 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Buying out Redden costs the Rangers $2.05 million in cap space for the next 10 years.
Waiving him costs the Rangers $0.00 million in cap space for the next 300 years.
Neither is happening.
by Dave (BSB) on Jul 21, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’ve read on a few boards (webleedblue) that Redden could be involved in a deal with Dallas. YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH RIGHTTTT. Redden isn’t involved in any deal anywhere, nevermind Dallas. Yeah sure, maybe they wanted to sign him that summer, but now that they didn’t they’re jumping for joy seeing what hes done in NY.
by Ryan McFadden on Jul 21, 2009 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Interesting.
Picking up Richards would be like re-signing Redden at the end of his contract haha….He is paid too much…and mark my words, Dubi will produce this year, shocking numbers…..he is a hard nosed player that will get the puck loose off the boards, so gabi can have a nice little one on one with the defenseless goalie….but as far as it goes with Savard next year…..I would go hard after him whether dubi plays well or not…..I like him and his style.
by Sportingnewskid on Jul 21, 2009 10:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Richards would make no sense to me, I say go with what they have, and if it doesn’t work, there will be centers available during the season.
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jul 21, 2009 10:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This is a tough call. Richards is a good player but not a great player. We are going that road again of taking on a big contract from a guy that has not two down season in a row. Down season by number one center 7.8 million dollar standards. Money aside I think Richards is probably(other then big Vinny L) the best center we could get right now. Now he’s probably not on the market but lets say he is. He’s played with Trots and know the season. He’s won a cup and a Conn Smythe Trophey which is more then I can say for almost all of the team. He’s a warrior and a winning and this team not more of that.
Now who do we trade? If we could make this trade without giving up Dubi it would be great. Would
Ansimov,Del Zotto, Rosy and a 2 round pick do it ?
They are going to get another Center Trots has said it a number of times. I just hope they weigh everything before making a choice.
by Roc1193 on Jul 21, 2009 12:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I'm in the minority here, but
Let’s see how Redden does this year with a full year under Tortorella’s system. If he’s awful, then I think we can officially say he’s a bust, but I saw some definite positive things in the playoffs. He was our best d-man in that series overall IMO. I’m not gonna kill the guy after one year. Sure, he was bad overall during the season, but I think he’ll perform much better this year.
Thoughts?
by stonecoldcory on Jul 21, 2009 1:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
i agree...and i would say the same for zherdev
zherdev was obviously our best offensive player in the first half of the year and he went thru a rough stretch at the end…it looked a lot worse because he’s not that physical…but remember in the first half of the year where he hustled on offense and defense…im just saying if we can fit him under that cap for one more year…give him a shot…lets torts work his magic on zherdev…remember when gabby said he likes someone to control the puck and get open…zherdev can be that player…he’s a magnificent passer…why does it have to be a center who sets him up?
Redden…man i hope redden can get it together…i really do because theres no way we can move him…and him better makes every d-man that much better because they wont have to pick up the slack
by nutz_35 on Jul 21, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
After careful consideration, and some persuasion from my brother (AveryGod), I am onboard with this thinking. I’m willing to give him another year, and quite frankly, we have no other choice.
That being said, if Redden is a complete flop again, I will say “I told you this was a bad idea” and deflect all criticism.
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jul 21, 2009 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He's already a bust
Unless he starts doing steroids and turns into Nik Lidstrom, there’s no way he can ever live up to that ridiculous contract. I’m willing to give him another chance because we lack veteran d-men and it would be just as painful to eat his contract as it is to watch him play, but even in a best case scenario I cant see him being more than average.
by Steeeve on Jul 21, 2009 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Larry Brooks
First lets see, if the source is Brooks, forget about it. He talks about the deal now and that Gabby needs a center like Richards and then come Feb when Richards may have imploded, Brooks would be calling for Sather’s head and how the Rangers destoryed their youth movement in trading for another high priced, over-aged talent. Stay with Duby and see the rewards, maybe not right away but in the long run. I would like to build for a couple of Cup shots, not a one and done.
by nomore1940 on Jul 21, 2009 2:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
that’s the great thing about being media, revisionist history. We’re not media, so we have to own up to our mistakes.
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by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jul 21, 2009 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
brad richards ??
he is going to cost way to much plus dubi is the player that they are going to want duby deserves a shot at center. what about phil kessel ? the bruins look like they can;t pay him now that would be a good trade …
by lohaus#54 on Jul 21, 2009 5:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Forget About Richards .... and Savard! Lets go Dubie!!!
Why do we have to be the team that thinks about next year? We might share the same building as the Knicks, but we’re not looking towards next year. Sure we have to score more but if you recall Dubinski did great centering Jagr his rookie season and in his 3rd year with a top 5 scorer on his side now….look out. PLUS he hits like crazy, wins faceoffs umm 15 for 17 last the playoff game, and lets not forget he put up 40 points centering slow naslund and growing callahan, who were not exactly lighting it up out there. Savard is not a two way player like Dubz, and niether is Richards. So, lets breathe and give Dubz the chance he deserves. I mean from what i keep reading it seems like everyone wants Gomez back with these Savard and Richards talks ummm…thier virtually all the same players and if you guys think Savard will not be asking the Rangers or Bruins next year for 6 mill a year or something crazy like that, believe it. Watch Dubinsky go for 60 Plus points this year 15 g and 45 a range, call me crazy. Just remember my name when the years over.
by louielounz1 on Jul 23, 2009 12:02 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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