TSN: Brad Richards NOT being bought out

[Janerixon]

Right down the line.. Overpaid.. and none of them will take a short term deal, and I'm willing to bet Richards next year outproduces all of them.

I don't want any of them either, Horton would be the only one of interest, but not with his price tag and injury history, but to say Richards will outproduce them all? Based on what? Richards was a shell, he was relegated to 4th line and scratched the last 2 playoff games. He has never been the best skater and was completely useless in the defensive zone... I understand optimism, but let's be realistic. Richards needs to be shifted to the wing to take pressure off him and he can focus solely on producing offense.

 

[chosen]

Rangers are a soft team. It's not the tough guys but the tough guys that can't play that's the problem. Unfortunately a guy like Prust is going to get a big contract after he proves he can play that's not all that commensurate with his point production. But he's exactly the kind of player that is so hard to find. Anyway McIlrath should be around one of these days.

Assuming McIlrath is more than a tough guy. Frankly, if he doesn't make the team this year, I will start assuming that his ceiling isn't all that high.

Yeah, I know he's still young, but the game has changed. The good ones spend very little time in the minors, now.

 

[Brooklyn Ranger]

I want to turn this conversation a bit and change the focus. Agreed, this is a horrible decision; no matter how you cut it or look it at, it is simply cannot be defended.

Seriously then, why did the Ranger management team make it? They certainly knew the cap implications, injury risk factor, BR's declining production and age, and play so poor that it was an "organizational decision" not to dress him in the most important games of the year.

Why?

I don't want to hear that Sather was stupid. He is not "stupid." I am not a Sather fan and wanted him gone long ago, but I cannot say that a man so well-respected, who has lasted so long, is "stupid" or "dumb." That response just doesn't cut it.

I also don't want to hear that Dolan made him keep him. That would be totally out of character for everything we have heard about the Dolan/Sather relationship. Dolan was the man, after all, who was OK with burying Redden in the minors. One way or another, BR was going to get his money: maybe not as much if he bought out as opposed to playing but still a significant amount.

Why then?

The only answer I can come up that makes any sense is that AV, the coach that you have just entrusted the team to for the next 5 years wanted to keep him and made a strong case for doing so. This wasn't a "new" coach in his first job but an experienced, successful coach with a long track record of success that you were bringing in. You need to value his input and give him some say in decision making. You need to trust his judgement to a large degree. Looking at this team and knowing of BR's reputation, I can certainly see AV saying to Sather that he would like to keep him for at least one more year.

Nothing else seems logical to me. I'm trying to look at this rationally and remove the venom from the situation. We may disagree with many of the moves that the front office has made (there have certainly been some poor ones), but we cannot say decisions are made from stupidity. There was certainly a lot of discussion here. The decision wasn't made in a vacume: all the ramifications were certainly considered. The decision was make to keep BR. The big question is why: simply say that Sather was inept or stupid or ignorant, just does not cut it.

Don't have an answer, but was reading Carpiniello's blog yesterday and ran across this--it's in the comments section (Carp actually interacts with the posters there)

yeah, as long as by management you mean the single guy who made this decision, because not everybody (read: the brains in the organization) was on board with it.

Evidently, it was Sather's decision and his alone. Wouldn't surprise me. Sather has been very vocal that he's still in charge.

If you scroll down the replies you'll see other comments by Carp in the responses.
http://rangers.lohudblogs.com/2013/06/29/the-richards-saga-my-take/

 

[Cynical TyranT]

Havent been around here much lately, but, certainly felt like dropping by to air my grievances about keeping Bucky on the payroll. Couldnt they have bought him out then offered him a better contract? Anyways... ugh.

 

[Blueblood2]

Havent been around here much lately, but, certainly felt like dropping by to air my grievances about keeping Bucky on the payroll. Couldnt they have bought him out then offered him a better contract? Anyways... ugh.

I dont think you sign a player for a year after you buy him out.

 

[JohnC]

Havent been around here much lately, but, certainly felt like dropping by to air my grievances about keeping Bucky on the payroll. Couldnt they have bought him out then offered him a better contract? Anyways... ugh.

Nope. It's against the rule. You have to wait a year I believe

 

[Wamsutta]

I keep forgetting McIlrath even exists. I'm starting to lose hope he's going to pan out at all now. If we haven't seen him yet...

 

[eco's bones]

Assuming McIlrath is more than a tough guy. Frankly, if he doesn't make the team this year, I will start assuming that his ceiling isn't all that high.

Yeah, I know he's still young, but the game has changed. The good ones spend very little time in the minors, now.

Ceiling? His ceiling is a stay at home d-man who can play a regular shift and play a very physical game. We already know what his ceiling is.

Coming out of juniors and making an NHL team at 20 years old is a tall order for a defenseman. I'm sure you know that. The order gets even taller when you're rehabbing a dislocated kneecap. And there's no reason for the Rangers to rush his development either. They are not like your top 10 teams rushing all their 1st rounders into the NHL. The Rangers have a steady and stable defense. They can take their time.

I keep forgetting McIlrath even exists. I'm starting to lose hope he's going to pan out at all now. If we haven't seen him yet...

Yeah-20 years old--he's finished.

 

[GAGLine]

I keep forgetting McIlrath even exists. I'm starting to lose hope he's going to pan out at all now. If we haven't seen him yet...

McIlrath has played 1 year as a professional, and he missed a good portion of that year recovering from a knee injury. If you expected him to be with the Rangers already, then you need to adjust your expectations. McIlrath is doing fine.

 

[bubba5]

Can't the rangers still change their mind for this year if a better option comes up. I thought they still had until July 4th?

 

[Evgeny Oliker]

...

Right down the line.. Overpaid.. and none of them will take a short term deal, and I'm willing to bet Richards next year outproduces all of them.

Richards has SEVEN years left at $6.6

You mean to tell me no UFA will take less than SEVEN years at $6.6?

I'm 100% sure someone like Ryder or Roy will take that...they are not star players.

 

[Evgeny Oliker]

...

Why do Ranger fans feel the need to covet crap to replace the crap we have via the free agent market?

Pocket the cap space - flexibility - wait for the right opportunity to come along that matches the vision* for this team going forward.

*this assumes there is a longterm vision for roster construction and team philosophy, which there isn't/hasn't seemed to be.

I completely Agree with you!

I dont want anyone like Richards...no one for a very long term deal and at that cap hit.

I'm however sure that players like Roy and Ryder will take shorter term for less money. Neither has ever made anything close to $6.6 and they are not star players.

If however, we cannot find anyone for around $3 mill for short term, then sure, dont do anything. Keep the cap for re-signing our own!

 

[GAGLine]

Can't the rangers still change their mind for this year if a better option comes up. I thought they still had until July 4th?

Yes, they can still change their minds. We have until 5 pm on July 4th.

 

[Florida Ranger]

I keep forgetting McIlrath even exists. I'm starting to lose hope he's going to pan out at all now. If we haven't seen him yet...

21 is the new 31?

 

[broadwayblue]

21 is the new 31?

Yeah, you must have missed the memo. If you aren't playing regular minutes in the NHL by 21 you are a bust.

 

[Anthony Mauro]

Maybe they simply don't want to spend the real cash again for a Sather f-up?

 

[GAGLine]

Maybe they simply don't want to spend the real cash again for a Sather f-up?

They're spending the cash anyway. Richards makes 9 mil this year. He makes 26 mil over the next 3 years. Buy him out and he gets 24 mil over 14 years.

Yes, they will spend additional money on whoever they bring in to replace him, but the Rangers have the money to burn. Tampa has less money and paid over 32 mil to buy out VL, who is a better player than BR.

How much did the Rangers spend on salaries before the cap? How much have revenues gone up since then? Dolan better not be crying poverty.

 

[blue2noise]

Between rolling the dice on the future of this organization with Richards, and once again drafting small and skinny while the rest of the league is smart enough to draft big, this is the most upset I have been with this team since they traded Leetch. Forget sideways, this team is now trending backwards.

 

[GAGLine]

Between rolling the dice on the future of this organization with Richards, and once again drafting small and skinny while the rest of the league is smart enough to draft big, this is the most upset I have been with this team since they traded Leetch. Forget sideways, this team is now trending backwards.

Tambellini is tall. Some sites list him at 6'3" or 6'4". But he is skinny. Needs time to add muscle, which he will do at UND. Buchnevich has good size also and Graves is listed at 6'4" 220 lbs.

 

[Ail]

There is still time.

 

[Callagraves]

Richards game is all mental. Guys like that don't drop off at 32. Buying him out is expecting Stepan to continue to be a reliable, consistent #1, and, after about 20 games, expecting Brass to continue to be an incredible #2.


The odds of Richards bouncing back and putting up 70 are better than the either scenario I just mentioned.

If we're lucky, we'll get all 3 to go our way. It's a low risk high reward move.

 

[Ola]

With the cap going up, it does make more sense to keep BR.

I think there are objective reasons to expect the cap to hit 70m in two years and with 30 teams with 8m of cap space, there will be a great shortage of players.

 

[Beacon]

once again drafting small and skinny while the rest of the league is smart enough to draft big

Except we draft twice as many NHLers as the league average.

 

[GordonGecko]

I don't see what the problem is. The Rangers can give Brad another year to prove he hasn't permanently turned into a steaming pile. Maybe the lockout messed with his mind or he ate too many Doritos last offseason. Let's see how he bounces back, he can be bought out next summer instead if it's that bad. The chances of him getting injured & needing season ending surgery are managable

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I don't see what the problem is. The Rangers can give Brad another year to prove he hasn't permanently turned into a steaming pile. Maybe the lockout messed with his mind or he ate too many Doritos last offseason. Let's see how he bounces back, he can be bought out next summer instead if it's that bad. The chances of him getting injured & needing season ending surgery are managable

Hes bought out next year no matter what. Gone. Done. Finito.

From a financial risk perspective, and from a team building perspective, its just about as bad of a decision that could be made.