Brad Richards doesn’t have to worry about leaving New York this summer.
The Rangers announced theywill not be using a compliance on any players this summer, including Richards. That gives him a season to prove to new head coach Alain Vigneault as well as to GM Glen Sather that his struggles last season under John Tortorella were an aberration.
Richards’ struggles with the Rangers last season were well documented by the end of the season and into the playoffs. There he found himself going from a fourth line player to a healthy scratch in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
All this means now is that Richards has a full season to show the Rangers he’s worth keeping around. The NHL has another round of compliance buyouts next summer. The Rangers have already used one of their two buyouts on Wade Redden before the season began.