Quote:
Originally Posted by Badger Bob
Why does this keep popping up? Richards and his agent needed ringers to help inflate the asking price. Feaster needed to sell the idea that the Flames were big players and still contenders.
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Because, unless you were in the room for the negotiations, that's what appeared to happen? The Flames reportedly offered a large contract that didn't seem to be disputed at all, the rest is speculation.
Obviously Richards camp was happy to have the Flames get into a bidding war with the Rangers to up the ante even if he was already leaning that way. But to suggest you were able to see through the charade when the Rangers, whose payroll includes millions of dollars spent on business personnel trained in negotiations, weren't is a bit ludicrous.
And on the other end, Feaster trades Kotalik and Regehr freeing up a large amount of salary and cap space to only appear to offer Richards a contract? Nah. He was hoping Richards would sign, it wasn't some type of long con. Odds might have been against it and ultimately it didn't work out (or I suppose more accurately did work out seeing how Richards is living up to his contract) but the intention was there.