could brad richards be moved

[Irishjim]

per katie strange

 

Another veteran whose job may be on the line, according to Strange, is New York Rangers forward Brad Richards. Strange said despite the price tag - six years left after this season at $6.67 million per year - the Rangers will decide Richards future based on how many "good years" they believe he has left. 

Richards will be 40 when his contract expires. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Boy would I LOVE this guy to end up back with Tampa Bay...but that is the very definition of "pipe dream".

 

Bolts just got rid of a large, very long contract (VLC), I don't believe they'd be looking to replace it with another...even if it is Brad Richards.

Besides, once Stamkos returns, the Bolts will be quite deep at center:  Stamkos, Filppula, the impressive and up n coming Tyler Johnson, the always dependable and grinding Nate Thompson, and guys like Alex Killorn and Tom Pyatt who can play center as well.

 

Ahh, well, I can dream what a Brad Richards return to TB would be like, eh?

Or better yet, as much as I love the guy (and I DO love him...literally...   ), perhaps the memories of Richards as a Bolt would serve me better than the reality of what he is now.

 

He may or may not ever return to anything close to the form that made him a highly sought after commodity...but one thing is for sure, as things stand now, he is merely a shell of what he once was.

If the Rangers do manage to move him, will he benefit from a better fit on another team? Or is what we are seeing is what he is now?

 

Would be interesting to see how things play out.

 

Richards as a Wild? Nice...but won't happen.

Wild are almost tapped out on the salary cap, have many young players they'd like to secure long term, probably need a long term goalie if Darcy Kuemper's recent success is an illusion, and probably have other targets on their radars (Moulson, Vanek perhaps) come the off season.

[Irishjim]

Richards as a Wild? Nice...but won't happen.
Wild are almost tapped out on the salary cap, have many young players they'd like to secure long term, probably need a long term goalie if Darcy Kuemper's recent success is an illusion, and probably have other targets on their radars (Moulson, Vanek perhaps) come the off season.

They would have to shed some salary. even with the cap going up moulson and vanek are gonna want 6-8mil in that range

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

They would have to shed some salary. even with the cap going up moulson and vanek are gonna want 6-8mil in that range

 

Yep...Dany Heatley is coming off the books...and he is about a 7 mil hit.

Word in Minnesota is, if the Wild want to add a Vanek or a Moulson (and of course, one of them wanted to play there) basically it would be a swap. One of those guys with their salary for Heatley's.

Mike Rupp's 1.5 M is another salary likely coming off the books as well...with maybe some lower pairing defensemen as well.

 

Richards could fit into that structure as well, unfortunately, as I mentioned in my previous post, Richards seems a shell of his former self, and I can't see the Wild giving up picks or one of their good young players to take the chance on him.

Edited January 15, 2014 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[Irishjim]

Yep...Dany Heatley is coming off the books...and he is about a 7 mil hit.

Word in Minnesota is, if the Wild want to add a Vanek or a Moulson (and of course, one of them wanted to play there) basically it would be a swap. One of those guys with their salary for Heatley's.

Mike Rupp's 1.5 M is another salary likely coming off the books as well...with maybe some lower pairing defensemen as well.

 

Richards could fit into that structure as well, unfortunately, as I mentioned in my previous post, Richards seems a shell of his former self, and I can't see the Wild giving up picks or one of their good young players to take the chance on him.

my guess is vanek since he already stated thats where he wants to play before his trade to the isle

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

I wonder if a team like Ottawa or Colorado with quite a bit of cap space would be willing to trade something to NY for Richards.

 

With the nice collection of forwards both those teams have, Richards wouldn't have to be the go-to guy....and he could potentially benefit and revive himself playing with fast, offense oriented linemates and D-men.

 

Current Ottawa GM, Bryan Murray  has already stated his goal for his team is to win NOW rather than later. He doesn't view his team as an 'up n comer', but rather, as a team that should be winning this year or next. And I gotta say, I agree with him....Sens should be contending.

Maybe Richards can find himself again and help push the Sens to that contender status at the same time?

 

As for Colorado, well, we already know Patrick Roy likes 'name guys'....but fortunately for Avs fans, he has been smart about WHICH names are to be included on his very promising team.

Same reasons as Ottawa, maybe Richards can help the Avs in the area of veteran centerman.

Seems Ryan O'Reilly and the Avs still have some rifts dating back to the hold-out that aren't fully resolved.

Perhaps the Avs look to move him to NY for Richards?

 

Those are two possibilities IMO, if the Rangers do indeed decide the Richards era in NY is over.

Besides...Richards isn't the type of rodent, snivelly, borderline a-hole player Alain Vigneault seems to like on his squads...