Hitting free agency after being amnestied, Brad Richards inked with a contender in Chicago.
Brad Richards' Rangers tenure came to an end based on a horrid contract. While Richards was still a productive player for New York, scoring 20 goals last season, he was slated to make $24 million over the next three years, with another six years total on his deal, a number Glen Sather and New York couldn't afford sitting to close to the cap ceiling.
So after hitting free agency following a buyout, the Blackhawks have come to terms with the veteran center, who can still be a difference-maker in the NHL.
1 year, $2 mil for Brad Richards to Chicago.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2014
Chicago continued the trend of teams bulking up at the center position, as the Blackhawks were already strong down the middle with Jonathan Toews as their man in the middle. It's not clear where Richards will slot in—he finished his time in New York on the Rangers second line, before getting demoted to the fourth during the Stanley Cup Final.
The Blackhawks learned how important center depth is when they were eliminated by the Kings in the 2014 Western Conference Final. With Los Angeles rolling out Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and Jarret Stoll, many teams have attempted to follow suit and stack their rosters at the center position. Anaheim added Ryan Kesler to compliment Ryan Getzlaf. The Stars similarly acquired Jason Spezza to play behind Tyler Seguin.
from SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/V9acIu
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