In news that will get Ranger fans very excited, TSN reported today that the Dallas Stars will not be offering center Brad Richards a new contract when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Richards, age 31, led the Stars in scoring this past season with 28 goals and 49 assists in 72 games, and has been rumored to be a prime target of the Blueshirts this coming summer.
Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk offered his reasoning as to why he will not be offering Richards a new contract (ESPN)...
“There’s really not any point because we know that he is not going to sign without an owner,” said Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk, addressing a report by TSN that there would be no offer made to Richards.
The Stars will now look to trade Richards’ rights before free agency.
“We’ll need Brad’s permission to do that,” said Nieuwendyk, referring to Richards’ no-trade clause.
Head coach John Tortorella has hinted that the Rangers need more skill up front going forward, and he hasn't shied away when he's been asked about possibly re-uniting with his former top centerman on the Stanley Cup winning Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. I'm sure Glen Sather took note of that.
Last week we reported that the Rangers may be interested in acquiring Richards' rights prior to July 1, therefore they could eliminate competition for the time being. Both the Maple Leafs and Kings have been rumored to potentially go after Richards in free agency, and both have more breathing space as far as the cap goes than New York does. The acquisition of Brad's rights would give the Rangers a key advantage, but they will have to pay up if they want to do so.
