Silverman: Washed Up, Huh? Richards Plays Key Role In Blackhawks' Run To Glory

By Steve Silverman
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Brad Richards left New York in the most ignominious of fashions.

The Rangers had no use for him and issued a compliance buyout of his contract. They did not try to trade him and get something of value. They paid him to go away at the end of the 2014 playoffs.

It was a truly stunning indictment as not one but two head coaches had benched/demoted him during the team's playoff runs. One of John Tortorella's final acts as head coach of the Rangers was benching Richards during the 2013 playoffs against the Boston Bruins.

Alain Vigneault may be the opposite of Tortorella when it comes to demeanor and approach, but he basically came up with the same conclusion when he demoted Richards during the 2014 playoffs.

The conclusion was that Richards had lost much of his speed and quickness, and while he could still make something of a contribution during the regular season, he was not going to help his team in playoff competition against the best teams.

Richards was not one of the hottest free agents when players were allowed to hit the market. However, he did gather some interest from the Chicago Blackhawks.

Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville were not in agreement with Tortorella and Vigneault. The Blackhawks had fallen short of their championship dreams last season and one of the reasons was that they did not have a talented center to play next to superstar Patrick Kane. They looked at Richards as a strong possibility because of his past experience and relatively inexpensive price tag.

It had to be music to Richards' ears. He had been cast aside by the Rangers, but a perennial contender like the Blackhawks was interested in him.

"The last thing Joel said when I hung up was, 'Come to Chicago, we'll win a Cup,'" Richards said. "He said it like three times in that conversation. He kept interrupting me, kept saying that, and I kept hearing that, thinking, 'How does he know that?'"

Quenneville didn't know that, but he did know that the Blackhawks would once again have a strong core and would be in a solid position to make a run. He also knew that Kane needed a consistent player manning the center position and that if Richards had lost a half-step but retained all his knowledge, know-how and desire, it just might work.

The Blackhawks signed Richards to a one-year, $2 million contract. If he had been too slow, they could have gotten rid of him in training camp, the first month of the season or any time they wanted to say goodbye.

But a lack of speed was never an issue for the Blackhawks this season. Richards wasn't very special in the regular season, as the 35-year-old registered just 12 goals and 25 assists.

However, while those numbers weren't great, he passed Quenneville's eye test. He was used at the point on the power play and he took his regular shift with Kane through much of the season. He had three goals and 11 assists in the playoffs and averaged 16:44 of ice time per game.

He may not have belonged on the ice for the Rangers, but he ended up making a solid contribution for the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks.

He was at his best in the Cup-clinching game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, whom he won a championship with in 2004, when he made the pass that helped spring Duncan Keith for the first goal late in the second period. He followed that by making the perfect dish to Kane that gave the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead and provided the final margin of victory.

Richards was celebrating on the United Center ice with the rest of the Blackhawks on Monday night, and he was thrilled.

"It's hard to believe what's happened in a year," Richards said. "I was pretty down and out. I wanted it to work so bad in New York and I knew that was probably my last chance with the Rangers."

But then his opportunity came with Chicago, and Kane was putting his arm around Richards and telling him how much he wants him to come back next season.

Salary-cap issues surround the Blackhawks and will attack the team's flanks. Bowman has Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa under contract and he has to find a way to sign Brandon Saad. The Blackhawks may not be able to hold onto Richards.

However, it was a deal that worked out for him and the team, and the satisfaction level is undeniable for the former Rangers castoff.

Richards has his second championship ring, and it one that he will cherish forever.

Follow Steve on Twitter at @ProFootballBoy