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Brad Richards News & Rumors

Richards, Gaborik lament lost opportunity
May 27
New York Post
 
"There was his chance, sitting open at the left circle, waiting for the puck, and when it came, Brad Richards fired it quickly only to watch it get swallowed up in Martin Brodeur's stacked pads. It was the third period of the last game of the Rangers season, Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Devils, Friday night at Prudential Center. It was tied 2-2 with the Rangers on the power play. Richards was the No. 1 import to Madison Square Garden this season, signing a nine-year, $60 million free-agent contract and earning himself, through feats of big-game heroics that overshadowed his inconsistencies, the moniker "Broadway Brad." "Bang-bang play, it's a good save," Richards said"
Rangers shock Caps in OT after tying it with 6.6 left
May 8
New York Post
 
"They have recorded two of the most dramatic victories in franchise playoff history within six days, but there is still one more victory in the Eastern Conference semifinals to get for the Rangers. The Blueshirts were 6.6 seconds away from death's doorstep last night before escaping to record a breathtaking 3-2 Game 5 overtime victory over the Capitals at the Garden that reverberated across the Manhattan skyline, perhaps to Newark or Philadelphia. There was the 3-2 triple overtime victory in Game 3 last Wednesday/Thursday in D.C. that was a test of perseverance, and now there is this different manner of epic. Brad Richards pulled the Blueshirts away from the precipice by scoring at 19:53 of"
Imagine Brad Richards in a Flames or Stars jersey
March 27
Calgary Sun
 
"It's spring in Canada. Or, as it's better known in this hockey-crazed country, second-guessing season. With the Calgary Flames fighting for their playoff lives in the NHL's Western Conference, chances are you're hearing a lot of what-ifs around the office water-cooler. What if they didn't have to deal with so many injuries? What if they won a few more shootouts? What if Sven Baertschi was allowed to stick around a little longer?"
Richards: Goalie the globe's best
February 16
New York Post
 
"Henrik Lundqvist is a three-time finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie. There were no questions or prodding necessary coming into this season to determine whether he was elite. As Lundqvist's spectacular seventh season for the Rangers continues — his latest gem an NHL-leading seventh shutout with 42 saves in Tuesday's 3-0 win at Boston — teammate Brad Richards has come to a conclusion. "He's the best goalie in the world right now in my opinion," Richards said after yesterday's practice. "We feed off Hank. Some of the big saves he makes, some of the saves, just night in and night out, we're probably getting a little spoiled.""
Richards scores OT winner, rips hit on Fedotenko
February 10
New York Post
 
"Brad Richards not only delivered the play of the night, scoring on a gorgeous Artem Anisimov feed at 2:37 of overtime to lift the Rangers to a 4-3 victory over the Lightning at the Garden, the Big Moment Kid also delivered the thought of the night in assessing Dominic Moore's brutal shoulder to Ruslan Fedotenko's head that almost certainly concussed the Blueshirts' winger. "I'm pretty sure that's what we're trying not to do to each other," Richards, who has seven game-winning goals, said after the Rangers had rallied from 3-2 down after two on Brian Boyle's score at 10:13 of the third. "It's us doing it to each other."
Tortorella waits for Richards to explode
February 9
New York Post
 
"The Rangers often talk about their identity. Coach John Tortorella has helped craft a team whose consistency stems from defense, physicality and hustle. The success is undeniable. The style is endearing. But prized free-agent signing Brad Richards still is having issues figuring out how best to utilize his strengths on a team where defense comes first. "I'm a little lost offensively, obviously," Richards said after yesterday's practice. "[A] defensive game is the way they want to play here and I'm adapting to that, but I've got to free myself up offensively, for sure.""
Rangers' Richards blanked again in shootout
February 1
New York Post
 
"For the sixth time in six shootouts, the Rangers called on Brad Richards out of the two-hole. For the sixth time in six shootouts, Richards, who came to New York this season with an estimable 25-for-60 mark (41.67 percent) in the skills competition, failed. "It's definitely in my head a little bit," Richards told The Post after the Blueshirts' 4-3 defeat to the Devils in which Ilya Kovalchuk was the only player to score in the shootout. "You don't just go in with the same approach when you're 0-for-whatever. "It hurts not to come through.""
NHL clears Cooke in incident with Ranger' Richards
January 21
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"The NHL has decided not to review Matt Cooke's knockdown of Rangers center Brad Richards on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Richard claims Penguins left wing Matt Cooke, whose behavior has been spotless this season, used his skate to level him from behind during the second period of the Penguins' 4-1 victory. Richards stayed on the ice for a moment before returning to the bench. "Richards called it a slewfoot," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "The league has not called it that and has not seen it that way. They look at every play, and I think maybe even a little more attention because Matt Cooke's name is associated with it.""
Richards nets last-second goal for win
December 18
New York Post
 
"Brad Richards has scored game-winners before, but never like the one he came up with last night. With the final seconds ticking away, Richards took a pass from Ryan McDonagh and fired a blind backhander toward the net. The puck deflected up off Phoenix defenseman Keith Yandle, went by goalie Mike Smith and snuck over the line with :00.1 left in regulation, giving the Rangers a 3-2 win in the desert. "I wanted to throw it at the net somewhere," Richards said after an official review reversed the original call, since the goal originally was waived off. "I had no idea that was going to happen.""
Brad Richards not surprised by Stars' success
December 14
Dallas Morning News
 
"Brad Richards is happy in his new home and happy with his decision this summer to leave the Stars. That doesn't mean he didn't like Dallas, it's just that the Stars weren't offering what the Rangers were -- and that doesn't just mean a nine-year contract worth $60 million. "Where they were at the time, there was just so much uncertainty, and I had been through that before," he said of a shaky ownership situation that led to his departure from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the trade that brought him to the Stars. "I'm happy to be here with an orginal six team. There's great tradition here.""
Richards making Rangers sparkle
December 13
New York Post
 
"A review of his contract might lead one to call him "Richie Rich," except Brad Richards is every bit a lunch pail pro with as much of a blue-collar approach to his work as anyone in the Rangers' room, if not the NHL. He's a star, an upper-echelon player whose presence and sense of professionalism have elevated the Blueshirts on and off the ice; a star, after dropping the capital "S" upon leaving Dallas for New York this summer as a free agent. "It's nobody's fault that I left [the Stars], it was my decision and I take full accountability for it," said Richards, who will face his former team tonight at the Garden. "The three [full] years I was there, we didn't make the playoffs, and the"
Ex-Lightning star returns with red-hot Rangers
December 3
New York Post
 
"Brad Richards is returning to the scene of his greatest triumph. But he is doing so as a Ranger and not coming back home as a member of the Lightning, the latter a scenario the 2004 Conn Smythe winner seriously considered as he pondered his free agency options following last season. "I had had a great experience there, enjoyed being there and two of my closest friends, Vinny [Lecavalier] and Marty [St. Louis] are still there, and they were talking to me and needling me a little bit, trying to sell me on it," Richards told The Post before the Rangers flew here from Raleigh for tonight's match. "I had a house there, and definitely considered the possibility of going back." But with"
Brad Richards won't center for Marian Gaborik for the time being
October 29
Bergen Record
 
"The blueprint for the Rangers from the moment they signed Brad Richards to a nine-year, $60 million contract, through training camp and the season's first eight games was to have him center Marian Gaborik. That plan may have changed. It certainly has for today's game against the Senators, the second in a six-game homestand at the partially renovated Madison Square Garden. "I'm not going to give you that answer if I think that is the right situation, to have Richie and Gabby play together," said coach John Tortorella, who will again unveil shuffled lines. "I'm not going to give you that answer because there are a number of things that come into play." Richards, who along with Gaborik has"
Rangers split up Richards, Gaborik
October 29
New York Post
 
"You can bet that John Tortorella never told Jim Dolan, "I can't say we definitely want [a Brad Richards-Marian Gaborik combination] to happen," when lobbying the Garden CEO in May and June to invest $60 million over nine years to sign the blue-chip free agent center specifically to combine him with the two-year Blueshirts sniper who struggled last year without an elite playmaker. Yet that's exactly what the coach told the press yesterday after a practice in preparation for this afternoon's Garden match against the Senators featured Gaborik skating with Erik Christensen as his center -- and isn't this where the summer started? -- while Richards played between Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan"
Big Apple best fit for Richards
October 21
Calgary Sun
 
"Among the reasons the star centre and top unrestricted free agent on the market chose the New York Rangers this summer was the fact he'd be playing in Manhattan. Funny thing is almost a month into the 2011-12 NHL campaign, Brad Richards has yet to actually suit up in New York. The Rangers started the regular season in Stockholm, Sweden, and then hit the road for a five-game road swing that started in Long Island, drifted through Western Canada — including Thursday night's matchup with the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome — and ends Monday in Winnipeg before they finally get a six-game home stand at Madison Square Garden."
Richards right star to add to Black-and-Blueshirts
October 5
New York Post
 
"It was not so long ago that stability and building from within were alien concepts when applied to the Rangers, but, oh boy, just look at them now. They're just about all back, bolstered by the free-agent signing of blue-chip first-line center Brad Richards. Every upper-echelon player on the roster with the exception of Richards and Marian Gaborik is a born-and-raised Ranger, with the Blueblood Line of Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov and freshly minted captain Ryan Callahan ready to skate in lock step toward prominence. The clouded prognosis regarding Marc Staal, who had been experiencing intermittent headaches since the summer in the aftermath of the concussion he sustained in Carolina"
Richards, Gaborik developing chemistry for Rangers
September 24
New York Post
 
"It was just the Rangers' first exhibition game, only the first time Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik played together against what coach John Tortorella likes to call, "different colors," but there's little doubt that the elite dispatcher and world-class sniper are going to combine to present a world of trouble for opponents. Richards will carry the puck. Gaborik will look for seams and to jump into openings. The left wing on the first line — a true blue first line the club has lacked since Tortorella arrived two-thirds of the way through 2008-09 — will be a complementary piece, whether it's Wojtek Wolski or a forward to named later. "When Richie has the puck, he's always looking. We"
Richards: Groin pull not alarming
September 22
New York Post
 
"Brad Richards, who did not skate yesterday after leaving the ice early on Tuesday with a slight groin pull, said that the issue is, "nothing alarming, that's for sure." Richards, who said he likely will skate today but is unsure whether he would be able to play in tomorrow night's preseason match against the Devils in Newark, said that he's dealt with the issue before. "I've had a few surgeries there, so at this time of year it's a little bit of a battle," he said. "I just want to stay on top of it. "I felt better [Wednesday] than [Tuesday], but I felt it was more prudent not to skate.""
Three choices, but only one Rangers 'C'
August 9
Bergen Record
 columnist Andrew Gross
"August figures to be a relatively quiet month for the Rangers if only because July was so successful, even if it will get busier toward the end as players return to the team's practice facility for informal skates. Come hectic September, though, with the start of training camp and preseason, one of the more frequently asked questions will be the choice of the Rangers' next captain given Chris Drury's buyout this summer. It seems to be a choice among three players, all with strong merits. Sparkplug right wing Ryan Callahan, 26, when healthy, assumed the role of de facto captain last season with Drury missing so much time due to injuries. No. 1 defenseman Marc Staal, 24, like Callahan, an"
Gaborik excited to team with Richards
July 14
New York Post
 
"When you are paid $7.5 million a year as one of the most gifted goal-scorers extant, you play in a No Excuses League, which, to Marian Gaborik's everlasting credit, he understood through a confounding 2010-11 during which he scored in only 14 games for a meager 22 goals overall. But there's no question the right wing suffered from the absence of a steady partner in the middle, moving from center to center almost as quickly as head coach John Tortorella can lose patience with people who ask too many questions. Fact is, Gaborik, who was limited to 62 matches primarily because of an early season separated shoulder and a late-season concussion, opened 21 times with Erik Christensen as his"
In Brad Richards, Rangers have a dedicated leader
July 12
New York Times
 columnist Jeff Z. Klein
"Brad Richards, the Rangers' new $60 million center, doesn't want to be called a savior, although he did say last week that if the Rangers win their first Stanley Cup since 1994, "you can call me whatever you want." Still, the fact is Richards, 31, has played that role twice, leading his Quebec league team to the Canadian junior championship in 2000 and being named most valuable player in the playoffs when his Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004. Can Richards do the same thing for the Rangers? Can he overcome the precedent of Bobby Holik, Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, high-priced centers signed by General Manager Glen Sather to contracts worth a combined $132 million, then"
Brad Richards says he has plenty of hockey left
July 7
Bergen Record
 
"To Brad Richards, 2020 is a lifetime away, so there's been no pondering whether he'll play all nine seasons of his new, front-loaded $60 million contract with the Rangers. "I just turned 31 [on May 2], I'm not even thinking about nine years," Richards said Wednesday at the Madison Square Garden Training Center for a Garden of Dreams event, his first appearance since joining the team Saturday. "My two best seasons have been my last two years," Richards said. "I'm going to try to keep building on that. Someday I can't play, I can't play. I've got to walk away. I don't consider turning 31 to be too old. I've got a lot of years left." Richards will make $20 million in the first 12 months of"
Rangers reunite Richards, Fedotenko, former Stanley Cup winners with Lightning
July 7
New York Daily News
 
"Even if the NFL lockout continues, there might be a version of the Tampa 2 in New York this fall. When Brad Richards signed a nine-year, $60 million deal with the Rangers on Saturday, it not only gave the Rangers an All-Star center for Marian Gaborik's line, it reunited the 31-year-old with left wing Ruslan Fedotenko, who had re-signed with the Blueshirts a day earlier. In 2004, Fedotenko and Richards scored 12 playoff goals apiece to lead the Lightning to the Stanley Cup. In Game 7 of the Finals against the Flames, Fedotenko scored both of the Lightning's goals, the first coming off a Richards assist. If Fedotenko joins Richards and Gaborik on the Rangers' top line, he would provide"
Rangers sign Brad Richards to 9-year, $60 million deal
July 3
Bergen Record
 
"Brad Richards wasn't ready to analyze his new team just yet, only a few hours into his tenure with the Rangers. But the highly-coveted, 31-year-old center, who signed a nine-year deal worth $60 million Saturday, does see similarities to his old team, the Lightning, who won a Stanley Cup under current Rangers coach John Tortorella in 2004. "I see what Torts does and it works, I know that firsthand," Richards said. "I see how he's bringing that young team along and it kind of reminds me of what he did [in Tampa Bay]. It was the right fit for me." Richards, the top-line center and power-play quarterback the Rangers desperately needed, is getting a contract that will count a reasonable $6.67"
Brad Richards could be the exact piece the New York Rangers need to make a Stanley Cup run
July 3
New York Daily News
 columnist Jesse Spector
"If it seems familiar, the Rangers spending an exorbitant amount of money to land the top free agent on the market, there is a reason for that. The latest reminder of how that has worked out was last week, when the Rangers bought out the final year of Chris Drury 's contract. This time, it should be different. Brad Richards agreed to a nine-year, $60 million deal with the Rangers Saturday, cashing in at the age of 31 after scoring 28 goals with 49 assists for the Dallas Stars last season. The most striking difference between Richards and most of the other big-name signings the Rangers have made under GM Glen Sather is that they did not offer the most money. The Daily News reported"
Brad Richards makes Kings wait
July 2
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings tried to wow premier free-agent forward Brad Richards on Friday with a pitch that included videotaped appeals from Wayne Gretzky and Kobe Bryant and a front-loaded offer worth nearly $60 million over nine years, but Richards decided to sleep on his decision and announce his choice Saturday. Richards told Canada's Sportsnet late Friday that he had narrowed the field to four teams, believed to be the Kings, New York Rangers, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Rangers can offer money and familiarity: their coach, John Tortorella, guided Richards to the Stanley Cup when both were with Tampa Bay in 2004 and they have a good relationship. The Flames also have a friendly face:"
Richards to wait on decision
July 2
NHL.com
 
"Brad Richards decided to sleep on it. After visiting with several teams in Mississauga, Ont., on Friday and talking to more over the phone, the big fish in this year's free-agent market, center Brad Richards, decided he would take some time reconvene Saturday with his agent, Pat Morris, before deciding where he will continue his career. Richards is believed to be fielding interest and long-term contract offers from the Rangers, Kings, Maple Leafs, Flames and Flyers. The Kings, Maple Leafs and Lightning made in-person pitches to Richards at Morris' office, Newport Sports Management Inc., but Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman told local reporters Friday evening that his team was no longer in the"
Leafs poised to drive up price on Richards
July 1
Toronto Sun
 
"The bidding war for Brad Richards begins at high noon. The rest of the NHL's free agency is just details. While the Dallas Stars centre is going to get a lucrative offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs, many wonder if the 31-year-old, the most valuable unrestricted free agent on the market, is going to choose to move north of the border on Canada Day. The betting is that Leafs GM Brian Burke's pursuit of Richards will simply drive up the price so that it costs the likes of the New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres or Tampa Bay Lightning more money. The Rangers, Leafs, Sabres and Flyers all need help in the middle. The Bolts are just being mentioned because they're a"
Rangers may bail if they whiff on Brad
July 1
New York Daily News
 
"Over then past several weeks, sources who have spoken to the Daily News about the Rangers ' offseason plans have not been able to answer one key question: What is Plan B for the Blueshirts if they cannot sign All-Star center Brad Richards , who becomes an unrestricted free agent at noon Friday? There may not be one. "Let's not just add for the sake of adding, (let's) stay with (the organizational plan)," John Tortorella said Thursday at the Rangers' prospect development camp in Greenburgh . "That's a key, come July 1, because it turns into such a frenzy that you get a little crazy. If it isn't what we need, and it isn't the right fit for us right now, then we have to stand pat and"
Richards top prize up for grabs when NHL free-agent markeplace opens on Canada Day
June 30
Edmonton Journal
 
"Brian Burke has scoffed at the notion that teams needing help should go on a spending spree when the NHL free-agent marketplace opens for business July 1, But the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager will still try hard to pick off centre Brad Richards, the No. 1 prize up for grabs starting Friday. In a very shallow free-agent crop, Richards is by far the best player available — even if the sticker price goes through the roof. First-line centres who have a Stanley Cup ring — Ricards earned one with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 — and average a point-a-game are in rare supply in the NHL these days. Richards, 31, who played for the Dallas Stars the last four seasons, may get $60 million US"
Rangers buy out Chris Drury, intend to spend on Brad Richards and own free agents
June 30
New York Daily News
 
"A year earlier than expected, Chris Drury's time with the Rangers is over. The Blueshirts finalized a buyout of the final season of their captain's five-year, $35.25 million contract Wednesday, and he will receive $3,333,333 as per the buyout rules in the labor agreement. The Rangers will incur a $3,176,667 cap charge for Drury this coming season - a savings of more than $3.3 million - and a $1,666,667 hit in 2012-13. The Daily News first reported on June 9 that the Rangers planned to cut ties with the 34-year-old, who was a Little League World Series hero for Trumbull, Conn., before embarking on a hockey career that has included a Stanley Cup and two Olympic silver medals. Hobbled by a"
Richards eager to put free agency stress behind him
June 29
TSN.ca
 columnist Darren Dreger
"Brad Richards is at the top of this year's free agent class and is eager to put the stress of free agency and change behind him. Richards and his agent Pat Morris will examine all presentations Friday and will weigh their financial expectation against Richards' best opportunity to win another Stanley Cup. The Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers are both believed to be poised to invest, on average, up to a $6.5 million."
Everybody loves Brad
June 28
Sportsnet.ca
 columnist Mike Brophy
"The Brad Richards watch is really heating up. Where will the veteran centre wind up? How much salary will he command? How long will he sign for? In a year when there really aren't many high-end unrestricted free agents, Richards is easily the best player available; a player who could help put a team that is close to being a Stanley Cup contender over the top. The 31-year-old Murray Harbour, PEI, native led the Dallas Stars with 28 goals and 77 points in 72 games last season and has been rumored to be on the way to New York to join the Rangers; possibly to Philadelphia and perhaps even back to Tampa Bay where he helped the Lightning win the Cup in 2003-04. That said, there is an undeniable"
Rangers price may be wrong for Richards
June 28
Bergen Record
 
"The main issue - seemingly the only issue - surrounding Friday's start of the NHL free agent market is whether Brad Richards will wind up with the Rangers. The team wants him. And the 31-year-old center certainly seems to want a reunion with John Tortorella, who coached the Richards-led Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004. The question is at what price? With the NHL salary cap floor rising to $48.3 million for 2011-12, that may be harder to determine. Because, as of Monday, there were 15 teams reportedly below that floor. No doubt there will be some inflated contract offers made by teams needing to get to the minimum payroll. That, in turn, would likely inflate all offers. So"
Leafs keep quiet on Richards sweepstakes
June 27
Toronto Sun
 
"Will the Maple Leafs be in on the Brad Richards sweepstakes? Should they be? It is a complicated scenario made even more vague by the fact that for all sorts of reasons, Toronto general manager Brian Burke and his management team have no interest in discussing the matter publicly in advance of the July 1 free-agency period. The Leafs got burned, you will remember, on the foiled pursuit of the Sedin twins a couple of years ago and, to add to that frustration, were charged by the NHL with tampering because of seemingly innocent comments made by coach Ron Wilson while the Sedins were still under contract with the Canucks. Given the fact that Richards is the standalone big-name in this year's"
Return to Tampa Bay Lightning for less pay? Brad Richards says he will be flexible in free agency
June 27
St. Petersburg Times
 
"When it comes to his impending free agency, Brad Richards said he wants to be flexible. That is why he will not waive his no-trade clause with the Stars — "The more I think about it, the more I want to see all my opportunities," he said — and why, when it comes to a potential return to the Lightning, he did not shoot down a suggestion he might be willing to take less salary than he could get elsewhere. To be fair, Richards framed his reasoning in a broader context, saying every team's financial situation is different. Still, that Richards, the MVP of Tampa Bay's 2004 Stanley Cup run, left that door open a crack is sure to stoke the imaginations of Lightning fans when free agency opens"
Brad on the way, if Rangers pay
June 27
New York Post
 columnist Larry Brooks
"If I heard it once, I heard it a dozen times during this Entry Draft weekend in Minnesota: "[Brad] Richards told [X] he wants to come to New York." And this, too: "Slats [general manager Glen Sather] is going to blow his brains out to sign Richards." To which I respond: If Richards "wants to come to New York," $32.5 million over five years -- starting at $11 million this year to protect against a potential future rollback -- should be enough money and enough of a commitment for him to achieve his dream. And this: If Sather does indeed "blow his brains out to sign Richards," to borrow from the vernacular, then the GM truly will have lost his mind. The risk/reward line is hazy enough on a"
Nieuwendyk: Richards' rights will not be traded
June 24
Dallas Morning News
 
"Just caught up with Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk via phone at the NHL draft in Minnesota, and he said he had a discussion this morning with both Brad Richards and his agent Pat Morris, and they confirmed that Richards will not waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade of his rights before free agency begins July 1. ``It's disappointing, but you move forward and work on to the next issue,'' Nieuwendyk said. This isn't really a surprise, and you can't blame Richards and Morris for doing what they think is best. Richards has earned that no-trade clause, and he and his agent believe an auction on July 1 is the best scenario. Nieuwendyk said that rumor that there is a lot of trade talk and"
New York Rangers favorites to land Brad Richards, plan to go all-out to get All-Star center: sources
June 24
New York Daily News
 
"The NHL draft begins Friday night in St. Paul , but the Rangers are focused just as heavily on their immediate future as they are on which prospect they might add with the No. 15 pick. The Blueshirts are emerging as the favorite to land the top unrestricted free agent in this summer's class, All-Star center Brad Richards . The center, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs for the John Tortorella -coached 2004 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning , has been the Rangers' top summer target for months, and they can sign him as soon as next Friday. Sources have told the Daily News that the Rangers plan to go all-out to get their man, who had 28 goals and 49 assists"
Richards back with Bolts? Lots of things must happen
June 23
Tampa Tribune
 
"It was Super Bowl week in Dallas, early February, but there was hockey, too, and there was Dallas Stars star center Brad Richards (you might remember him) in his team's dressing room after a loss to Vancouver, talking about all his times in Tampa. "Tampa is still where I won a championship," Richards said. "I'll be there, live there after I retire. And you never know, you never say never about going back and playing there. You never know." We still don't, do we? Hockey handed out its awards Wednesday night. Friday comes the NHL draft. The free-agency signing period begins in a little more than a week. Richards and the Lightning will be on the clock. Do they need each other? Do they want"
Brad Richards 'open-minded' as free agency approaches
June 22
ESPN.com
 
"ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun talked to Brad Richards, who is getting ready to hit the free agent market for the first time in his career. "You always keep an eye on that first day of July, you see what teams do and where players go. It's always interesting," Richards told ESPN.com on Wednesday. "There's always something that surprises you. That's why I want to keep everything open-minded. I've talked to people that have been through it and there's always things that come out of nowhere and you want to be open-minded to receive all that stuff. It's probably my last contract, so you want to set yourself up where you have a chance to win and feel comfortable.""
Bryzgalov and Richards are two different animals
June 9
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Phoenx goalie Ilya Bryzgalov waived his no-trade clause to have his negotiating rights traded to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, but don't think that means that Brad Richards will do the same thing. Richards' agent Pat Morris confirmed today that the Stars have asked Richards to waive his no-trade clause, and that Richards has declined under advice from Morris. ``He asked in late May, and it was not a situation that was good for us, and so we said no,'' Morris said of Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk. ``He hasn't asked again, but he understands that we would have to be aware of the situation and it would have to be a situation that would be one where we can see some benefit.'' That means that"
Ex-Lightning Brad Richards interested in return to Tampa Bay
June 9
Tampa Tribune
 
"Brad Richards, due to become an NHL unrestricted free agent on July 1, would love a return to his old team, the Lightning. It's still something of a fantasy scenario, contingent on the Lightning's interest. Even when he refuses to prematurely consider the possibilities, inevitably, he will encounter someone who says, "Brad, when are you coming back?" He can't answer that. But Richards knows this — he never wanted to leave Tampa Bay. "I don't know what they're thinking as an organization," said Richards, 31, who has played for the Dallas Stars since the Lightning shipped him away a few hours before the 2008 trade deadline. "If they're going to talk to me, I'd definitely be interested.""
Brad Richards' agent says Star has no plans to waive no-trade, but source says Leafs are in play
June 7
New York Daily News
 
"The Rangers can breathe easy. Brad Richards is not going anywhere. At least not yet. "The Stars have not asked Brad to waive his no-trade clause, and at this point in time, he has no intention of doing so," agent Pat Morris told the Daily News Monday night when informed that a source had said a move to the Toronto Maple Leafs could be completed by the end of this week. "We're still pointing toward July 1." July 1 is when Richards becomes an unrestricted free agent. Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk said last week that because of ownership uncertainty, Dallas would not be able to re-sign Richards, and would look to get something in exchange for the exclusive rights to negotiate with him before the"
Source: Richards had 3 and 4-year options offered to him
June 6
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"A little bit of news on the Stars trickling in over the weekend, and hopefully there will be more this week. The biggest news is a source said that the offer that Brad Richards received before the trade deadline was his choice of either contracts that San Jose centers Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau recently signed. Thornton signed a three-year deal for $21 million that will start in the 2011-12 season. It is structured at $8 million next season, $7 million in 2012-13 and $6 million in 2013-14. He will be 32 when it starts. Marleau signed a four-year $27.6 million deal that started last season when he was 31. It averages $6.9 each season."
Could Brad Richards return to Tampa Bay Lightning?
June 5
St. Petersburg Times
 
"It certainly is intriguing to think former Lightning star Brad Richards has a chance to return to Tampa Bay. And Richards stoked that fire a bit on Thursday when he said he never wanted to leave Tampa and would be willing to listen if the Lightning calls when free agency begins on July 1. But can the two sides actually get together? A big hurdle was cleared last week when the Stars, in the midst of an ownership transfer, said they will not make Richards an offer. But Richards, 31, who spent the past three-plus seasons with Dallas, will be one of the highest-profile players on the market. He has 52 goals and 168 points the past two seasons. And if you consider his five-year, $39 million"
Richards may be too rich for Rangers' blood
June 5
New York Post
 columnist Larry Brooks
"The Rangers have heard through the grapevine that Brad Richards will be seeking a long-term contract worth a minimum of $7 million per when the free-agent market opens on July 1, and they've heard it more than once and they've heard it from more than one source. This means that, a) general manager Glen Sather will not be sending an asset to Dallas for the right to try and convince the 31-year-old center to sign before he hits the market; and, b) the Blueshirts already are pondering a Plan B to bring a first-line pivot to Broadway. We're told by well-placed sources Richards has no intention of signing for a discount in order to reunite with coach John Tortorella, with whom he won the Cup"
Are the Leafs interested in the Brad Richards sweepstakes?
June 3
Toronto Star
 
"Could Brad Richards be a Toronto Maple Leaf sooner, rather than later? A look through the list of impending unrestricted free agent centres with the attributes GM Brian Burke is looking for puts Richards at the very top. He's only 31 and not just a proven winner, but a leader and a Conn Smyth Trophy winner. He's big and he can score. In short, he's everything the team has lacked in a No. 1 centre since Mats Sundin left the team in 2009. And now, he's available, sooner than anticipated. The Dallas Stars — a team without an owner — announced they would try to trade his rights before July 1 — essentially trying to get something for a player they risk losing for nothing once July 1 rolls"
Blame game doesn't work in unique Brad Richards' situation
June 3
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"It's tough to lose one of your best players. You wonder who will replace him. You wonder if he'll help another team win a Stanley Cup. You wonder how the heck you got to this point.But I really believe there are no bad guys in the Brad Richards situation, just bad timing.You have to cut Richards some slack. He went through a very traumatic time in Tampa Bay, and it clearly had a lasting effect on him. He wasn't the one who pushed for a five-year contract that averaged $7.8 million when he was still a restricted free agent back in 2006. Tampa Bay willingly offered him the deal, and Richards would have been a fool to turn it down.But then when finances got tight and new Lightning owners Len"