Red Wings Ink Richards

Another big Red Wings signing dropped on Wednesday, as they added more veteran leadership and a 2-time Stanley Cup winner in Brad Richards, giving him a 1-year deal worth $3 million in base salary, plus a $1 million bonus for his 35+ contract, which I believe comes with playoff rounds won.

Richards was a very good support player for the Chicago Blackhawks, helping them to win the Cup in June, but in the grand scheme of things, his regular season numbers have been on the decline.  His pool rankings have dropped from 12th overall in 2010, all the way down to 209th last season with the Hawks, where he scored 12 goals and 37 points in 76 games.

Last season, I thought Richards was going to be a bit more exciting than he was, thinking that the move to a great team like Chicago would have revitalized his scoring touch.  No, that wasn't the case at all.

No, Richards is now quickly becoming a guy that is around for the intangibles of the game.  His leadership, on and off the ice, and doing the little things right on a regular shift.  He'll still get some points, but he doesn't appear to be the same guy that scored 60 or 70 points in his career.  He should be a late pick these days.