[News] Brad Richards bought out by NYR

[Bar-Down]

Per Pierre Lebrun

Pierre LeBrun @Real_ESPNLeBrun · 3m
Brad Richards has been bought out by the New York Rangers, source says

[codynw]

Nobody in the world saw this coming.

[trackercowe]

Thanks for choosing New York over us Brad! Oh and cheers to Glen Sather for saving us from paying this bum millions over the next decade.

I can't believe anyone wanted to give this guy a better deal than the Rangers offered to begin with. It was quite apparent he was on the downslide of his career, and would never live up to such a massive contract.

[Ashasx]

This was predicted by every Flames fan on July 1, 2011.

Sucks to see compliance buyouts help bad managers get out of their mistakes.

[nik-]

I was so caught in the frenzy when we were trying to sign him. Sobering up after he was signed made me thankful we didn't.

Today makes me even more so.

[devo22]

no surprise.

I was pissed when he chose the Rangers over the Flames, but that feeling changed pretty quickly.

[alan21]

Hopefully someone still has the copy of the contract we offered him in 2011. Can someone just forward it on to Brad's agent?

[ForeverFlameFan]

Man, I didn't see this coming.

[Erick Estrada]

Just goes to show how the big winners of the July UFA frenzy usually in the long term end up as the biggest losers.

[trackercowe]

I wonder if he ends up back in Tampa to play with Stamkos, especially if they don't re-sign Callahan. He seems like someone Yzerman would go after.

[Ashasx]

I think it's funny though how a guy can help you make it to the finals and you buy out his contract a week later.

Brad has to be the big UFA this summer, then?

[MissTeeks]

Chris Johnston‏@reporterchris1 min

Brad Richards receives $20.667-million over the next 12 years from his #NYR compliance buyout, including signing bonuses.

[Locke]

I cant believe he still has 6 years left.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I think it's funny though how a guy can help you make it to the finals and you buy out his contract a week later.

Brad has to be the big UFA this summer, then?

Not sure how much he helped really. I mean he was a moving part of the team but he wasn't much of a factor outside of a small handful of games and was pretty awful in some of the key games in the finals.

[terminator]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

Chris Johnston‏@reporterchris1 min

Brad Richards receives $20.667-million over the next 12 years from his #NYR compliance buyout, including signing bonuses.

wow, $20mil to sit on his ass. Best deal for that guy.

[MissTeeks]

So will St. Louis want to get traded now that his friend is gone?

[Ozy_Flame]

Well, he's set for life. And he doesn't even have to lift a finger.

Guy should just retire. Anything else is just patronizing.

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I think it's funny though how a guy can help you make it to the finals and you buy out his contract a week later.

Brad has to be the big UFA this summer, then?

Richards was a detriment if anything, they would have been better filling his spot with a multitude of other centers in the league. There's a reason why he was a scratch under Torts last year and then on the fourth line this year under an entirely different regime.

One thing I know is that somewhere right now Ron MacLean is in a dark spot balling his eyes out

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

Chris Johnston‏@reporterchris1 min

Brad Richards receives $20.667-million over the next 12 years from his #NYR compliance buyout, including signing bonuses.

So all told the Rangers are paying him around $52M for 2.5 seasons of play.

[mrdonkey]

Makes sense for him to sign in St.Louis. Gives him a chance to win, and the Blues don't have to give up assets like they would for Kesler/Spezza.