The feeling coming from Brad Richards was utter frustration, and the idea that he purveyed during yesterday’s breakup day for the Rangers is he needs a brand new start.
So now the question is if that start is in New York, or if Richards is off playing somewhere else next season should the Rangers use their final amnesty buyout to send him packing.
“That’s the business side of it,” Richards said. “I’m playing hockey next year no matter what. So I’m just talking about myself and getting back. I signed for longer than a year and half, but I do understand everything that’s going on.”
The former Conn Smythe winner was a healthy scratch in the team’s final two games, as they lost in five games to the Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Richards, 33, is signed through 2019-20, and carries a $6.67 million salary cap hit per season.
“It was tough, but life goes on,” Richards said. “I’ve got to regroup, figure some things out and start over.”
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The biggest reason Richards and his contract situation are so paramount to the Blueshirts’ strategy going forward is because with his money off the books, the rest of the possible financial roadblocks could be eased. With the salary cap being lowered from $70.2 million to $64.3 million next season, the Rangers have a core group of their team lingering as restricted free agents. That includes forwards Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin and Mats Zuccarello — and most importantly, stalwart defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
On top of that, the backbone of the organization, goalie Henrik Lundqvist, is set to cash in big time as an unrestricted free agent after next season, likely in need of a contract extension before then in order to be appeased.
So it all comes back to Richards, as it seemingly had done repeatedly throughout the Rangers’ grind of a lockout-shortened season.
“It’s about the team, producing for the team, and it was a struggle,” coach John Tortorella said about Richards. “An individual player, especially of that stature, when we thought what he was going to bring — you all know that him and I have a relationship, but that has to be put aside for producing for the hockey club.”
The relationship between coach and player started a decade ago, as the two won the 2004 Stanley Cup together with the Lightning, and a bright-eyed kid from Prince Edward Island was named the postseason MVP. But as much as Tortorella has pushed the idea of their relationship being unharmed by what happened, there is little question the end of this season is something that is not disappearing into the ether.
“It’s another thing in a relationship that will never change now,” Richards said. “But I want to play hockey and that’s all I’m really worried about. Relationships come and go.”
So Tortorella and Richards had their exit interview, and to be a fly in that room would have been interesting. What was unquestionably made clear was that what happened this season cannot happen again.
“That’s one thing about Brad Richards is that I think he understands that stuff,” said Tortorella, who will commence organizational meetings in late-June with Richards as the main topic — if he’s still around then. “It is a bit of a wake-up call as far as where we are and what we expect and I believe he understands that. I do believe he’ll turn himself around.”
Yet, if that turnaround can come as a member of the Rangers is still to be determined.
“I signed here to be a Ranger a lot longer than a year and a half,” Richards said. “I still hope to do that, but I have to take care of how I play and that’s on me.”