Those who think he has the skills to be a #1 center. Anything he can do, Dubinsky can do better, and Stepan/Anisimov have the potential to do better. What's needed is a real gamebreaker like B. Richards. Plus Richards has experience playing for Torts which helps the possibility.
I don't see Weiss fitting well with Gabby, he's just another smallish center with limited upside who's good for no more than 60 points a year. If he's our #1 center it's going to be another tough year scoring goals.
The offseason is really Richards or bust. I don't like the idea of trading top prospects to get a player of the caliber we need if we can't land Richards, and I don't like the idea of trading lesser prospects to get another mediocre secondary scorer on a team that already has enough secondary scoring, but no primary scoring besides Gaborik.
If we don't land Gaborik I'm more comfortable using 3.1 million dollars (and 1-2 million more) on a REAL playmaking defenseman and working with what we already have than adding Weiss.
Last edited by hockeyman001: 05-10-2011 at 10:47 PM.
Don't want M. Richards either. He's a chronic complainer about things out of his control, and someone I don't think would mesh well with Dubinsky/Callahan and the go get 'em types. Seems to have divided the Flyers clubhouse we don't need that here.
When he came up he looked like a promising type captain a la Ryan Smyth or so, but the reality is he's done nothing except complain about things beyond his control while captains like Smith (and Callahan maybe beginning next year???) just go out and do their job and never complain.
if Richards wants longer than 5 years well then goodbye, dont cave in.
sign ONE of Ehrhoff, Pitkanen, Babchuk or Hedja (another girardi type, very underrated) only 5 dman that are worth it. i would think Bieksa will resign with the Nucks. if not, id take Bieksa as an option.
resign ALL RFA and Fedotenko
sign one of Jussi Jokinen, Fleischmann, Upshall for depth and grit.
if Richards wants longer than 5 years well then goodbye, dont cave in.
sign ONE of Ehrhoff, Pitkanen, Babchuk or Hedja (another girardi type, very underrated) only 5 dman that are worth it. i would think Bieksa will resign with the Nucks. if not, id take Bieksa as an option.
resign ALL RFA and Fedotenko
sign one of Jussi Jokinen, Fleischmann, Upshall for depth and grit.
I'd rather sign Richards long term than a bunch of 2nd tier stop gaps for 3 years.
id rather have depth through out the team than 2 or 3 players...
The team has plenty of depth. Stepan, Anisimov, Dubinsky, Callahan, Boyle, and Fedetenko + one of Hagelin/Grachev/Kreider is excellent depth. Now, you need another first line player to compliment Gaborik. Richards is that player, IMO, and he's the easiest one to acquire.
The team has plenty of depth. Stepan, Anisimov, Dubinsky, Callahan, Boyle, and Fedetenko + one of Hagelin/Grachev/Kreider is excellent depth. Now, you need another first line player to compliment Gaborik. Richards is that player, IMO, and he's the easiest one to acquire.
yea thats true but i much rather have a younger player as a first line center. dont wanna rely on an only 34 year old player towards the end of his deal . he will want 7 years at least. no thanks...
much rather have a 22-26 year old as the rangers first line center. pens caps flyers have that, why cant the rangers....
yea thats true but i much rather have a younger player as a first line center. dont wanna rely on an only 34 year old player towards the end of his deal . he will want 7 years at least. no thanks...
much rather have a 22-26 year old as the rangers first line center. pens caps flyers have that, why cant the rangers....
Yeah. Signing Richards any longer than four years is pretty much blocking out Stepan and Anisimov to grow into that first-line center role.
Like many here believe, Richards isn't going to take four years. As much as I want him to, he won't.
yea thats true but i much rather have a younger player as a first line center. dont wanna rely on an only 34 year old player towards the end of his deal . he will want 7 years at least. no thanks...
much rather have a 22-26 year old as the rangers first line center. pens caps flyers have that, why cant the rangers....
Because the Rangers picked Jessiman over Richards, and they didn't bottom out like the Pens and Caps. And for what it's worth, the Rangers center depth with Richards is much better than the Caps' center depth.
And Richards just turned 31. He's still in his prime. 7 years is not attractive, but it's worth the risk, considering no one in the system looks to be near the caliber of Richards - and we can't wait around for one of our centers to surprise us. That's not how winning in this league works. Adding Upshall/Jokinen/Fleischmann is redundant. None of them are 1st line caliber forwards, and just adds more "depth" or, in other terms, offensively limited 2nd line wingers. Richards is a premier center. He's the type of player you sign to fill the void.
Because the Rangers picked Jessiman over Richards, and they didn't bottom out like the Pens and Caps. And for what it's worth, the Rangers center depth with Richards is much better than the Caps' center depth.
And Richards just turned 31. He's still in his prime. 7 years is not attractive, but it's worth the risk, considering no one in the system looks to be near the caliber of Richards - and we can't wait around for one of our centers to surprise us. That's not how winning in this league works. Adding Upshall/Jokinen/Fleischmann is redundant. None of them are 1st line caliber forwards, and just adds more "depth" or, in other terms, offensively limited 2nd line wingers. Richards is a premier center. He's the type of player you sign to fill the void.
and the type that will get overpaid and wasnt all this said about Gomez no thanks....
and the type that will get overpaid and wasnt all this said about Gomez no thanks....
Richards is a much better player than Gomez - it really isn't close, and I hate that expression, so that should tell you what I think of the comparison.
The only reason it makes sense to sign a second liner is because you sign Richards and either hope 1- they can play with anisimov and callahan so dubi plays on the top line or 2- richards makes them put up 1st line numbers.
The only reason it makes sense to sign a second liner is because you sign Richards and either hope 1- they can play with anisimov and callahan so dubi plays on the top line or 2- richards makes them put up 1st line numbers.
Exactly. Signing Jokinen only makes sense if you get Richards - he won't put up 1st line numbers by himself.
and the type that will get overpaid and wasnt all this said about Gomez no thanks....
Except Gomez doesn't have Richards' skill. Richards, with good wingers, has consistently put up high point totals in his career. He's a Stanley cup winner. He averages about a 70+ point pace for his career. He can approach 30 goals. He has high PP point totals, has played point on PP, and in good seasons is worth 50 assists. He's done a lot of it on non-contending teams.
Gomez, was fast, but a bad stickhandler who was always turnover prone and showed inconsistency in his point totals throughout his career. When the Rangers signed him, he'd only scored 20 goals once...the fluke 2005-06 season where offense jumped following the lockout and he unexpectedly hit the 30 goal mark (note: he's never even scored 20 since). He had good assist totals, but many were the byproduct of playing with Patrik Elias. Remember Richards has not always played with Lecavalier and St. Louis when putting up his totals. He spent a lot of time playing with Andreychuk, with Stillman, with Modin, etc.
Gomez is not even a close comparison at all to Richards. Richards is a legit first liner and a dominating player (when you compare their style and the body of how they play). Gomez was just someone fast who the Devils put on first line because he fit with their system which was based on Brodeur + elite defense.
I don't know how it's even a debate whether or not Richards is elite. 70pt forward who can put up more, QBs the powerplay, and has a good defensive game. And some of us want nothing to do with him? What? This isn't a guy who relies on his teammates, this is a guy who's linemates rely on him. He's going to look good on our first line.
Neal - Richards - Eriksson I think was his line for most of the year.
Dubinsky - Richards - Gaborik is a likely line if the Rangers sign him.
Dubinsky > Neal
Gaborik > Eriksson (as far as offensive goes, if he's healthy anyway)
I could see Richards nailing 80 points easy if the he comes to New York.
For someone who knows about the cap: in order to sign Richards does Drury definitely have to be bought out? Or is it possible (because of a cap increase) to keep him AND get Richards?
Stepan and Anisimov MIGHT be. I would be happy if they became even half the player Richards is.
Some people are so aftraid about signing another crappy contract that they are blind to the fact that #1 C's do not come around very often.
Who the heck are they going to get if they don't go after Richards? right there is no one out there.
Stepan and Anisimov will continue to develop and be solid but I doubt true #1 C's. #2 heck ya but top end not so much.
For those that love Boyle the guy just had his best yr ever and tailed off the 2nd half of the yr. Is he very usefull sure he is but as a 3rd liner at best at C or the wing.
Go get Richards Sather. I am sure he will try so does'nt matter what we think on these boards
I'm sure it's been discussed, so I apologize in advance (but I haven't seen it), and he may not reach UFA, but what about Markov? Boy he'd look good in blue, manning the PP. MTL will likely resign him, but if he doesn't, I don't see how we don't at least take a look.
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned or not, but in the trade deadline edition of the Oil Change it REALLY seemed like the Rangers and the Oilers had a deal in place that Sather pulled the plug on at the last minute. I have a feeling that Hemsky will be on his way to the Rangers this off-season.
. he will want 7 years at least. no thanks...
