Brad Richards appreciation thread

JohnC

Registered User
Jan 26, 2013
8,581
6,025
New York
I'm gonna be that ****** that no one likes that says "I told you so"

I said he was gonna play well again and I'm proud of myself
 

raylol16

Registered User
Aug 22, 2012
30
0
Queens
I am glad he is looking great this year. He worked hard and deserves it after his season last year. I wish the rest of the team decided to show up.
 

gmerger37

Registered User
Dec 2, 2010
796
0
North Jersey
I was hugely critical of Brad last year and into the off-season. I will be the first to eat my words and say that he clearly worked hard this off-season and is literally the only player on the roster playing well.
 

raylol16

Registered User
Aug 22, 2012
30
0
Queens
I was hugely critical of Brad last year and into the off-season. I will be the first to eat my words and say that he clearly worked hard this off-season and is literally the only player on the roster playing well.

He is a true professional. He knew he sucked and worked hard to come back. I am so happy for him he deserves the results he is having this season so far.
 

iamitter

Thornton's Hen
May 19, 2011
4,006
374
NYC
I don't mean to toot my own horn here, but this is exactly why I started the "What kind of year does Richards need to have to not buy him out?" over the summer. People here are very "he's playing bad now so he must suck" and the playoffs were fresh in everyone's mind.

I see Richards doing better than expected here and being our top scoring center.

I remember Richards' exit interview where he said he didn't sign to play here for 1.5 years.

I feel the front office thinks the same way. If he has an excellent year next year, I also think they won't buy him out at all, mistake though it may be.
You give this team a functional PP and suddenly he has 80+ points last year and would have been on a similar pace this year.
He looked awful this year. I don't think he's declined as much as it looked.

Richards was crucified this season because he was slightly slower and he admitted himself he wasn't prepared for this season, both physically and emotionally, but mainly because he didn't produce like he usually did. He was usually a minus player in his career because his bread and butter is the power play. This year, despite being a plus player, I saw somebody who had lost his confidence and was second guessing his every move because of it. His less than top notch conditioning certainly didn't help. If Richards can regather his confidence, and I believe he will, I predict that he will put up 75+ points next season provided we have a functional PP and he stays healthy. All while being his usual sloppy footed self.

I don't think its a coincidence our PP suddenly looks good again now that Richards looks good, either.
 

Doctor King Schultz

Garian Maborik
May 3, 2012
5,740
336
NYC
I said this in the GDT, but if you told me last season that I would like him this much again in the future, I wouldn't have believed it. It's great to see him score some nice goals.
 

trilobyte

NYR Fan In the Foothills
Dec 9, 2008
25,346
3,531
Calgary, Alberta
I was clapping when he was benched in the playoffs. I figured he needed the message.

Good to see that he did something about it. He is a smart player on the ice, and this season so far, his fitness is there.
 

Machinehead

GoAwayKakko
Jan 21, 2011
141,276
109,807
NYC
The one thing we needed was Richards to bounce back. He does and we still suck.

cab.png
 

Doctyl

Play-ins Manager
Jan 25, 2011
23,258
7,024
Bofflol
this is pretty much his last season so im going to go ahead and say lets just leave it to beaver this year
 

OverTheCap

Registered User
Jan 3, 2009
10,454
184
Looks like Richards actually prepared in the offseason. Too bad he wasn't playing like this last year when more of the team had their **** together.

He will have to be bought out regardless, though, that recapture is ugly. Although part of me thinks that Sather could retain him... what does he care, he won't be around when Richards retires and then it's the future GM's problem.
 

Jabroni

The People's Champ
Jun 1, 2008
7,522
168
Making me eat my words with regards to buying him out.

This guy has it this year.

He's been playing like the Richards from his first season here. I like it.

I hope he keeps it up and makes me eat my share of crow as well.
 

mike14

Rampage Sherpa
Jun 22, 2006
17,685
10,632
Melbourne
The good money was on Richards recapturing at least some of his form, it's a shame he's the only forward with any at the moment.

As others have said, regardless of how well he plays or how many points he puts up, he has to be bought out at the end of the year.

The problem is that no-one else in the organisation has shown any top 6 form and so a bunch of that cap space is going to go towards yet another top-6 UFA
 

eco's bones

Registered User
Jul 21, 2005
25,988
12,226
Elmira NY
Not to be the negative nancy, but he still needs to be amnestied in the offseason. Brian Burke had his revenge for losing the bidding war in the final CBA.

Agreed. Those last three years of his contract will be a killer for us. They were put in there just to spike the $'s in the front years. Cannot afford to take a $6.7 mil cap hit for thin air.

He has played well.
 

Clown Fiesta

Registered User
Aug 15, 2005
14,012
331
Montana
I was fairly confident he'd come back and play better, didn't expect him to play this well. It's good to see, now if only the rest of the team wasn't Richardsing.
 

Idlerlee

Registered User
Apr 19, 2013
4,227
806
Has been huge, especially compared to what most people (myself included) assumed, that he was washed up and we made a huge mistake not buying him out.

Now if the rest of the team would kindly follow suit...
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->