Dallas Stars Closing In On New Owner, What It Means For Brad Richards

According to Brad Richards, one of the biggest issues with him staying in Dallas has been the uncertainty of their ownership situation.  David Shoalts of the Toronto Globe & Mail is reporting that the ownership roadblock to Richards staying in Dallas is getting closer to being resolved.  Shoalts reports that Tom Gaglardi, a Vancouver businessman, has taken another step forward in the process to buy the Stars and that he could be the owner as soon as the end of May.  

One of the biggest stumbling blocks let in the process is whether or not bankruptcy court will be needed to complete the sale.  

Declaring bankruptcy is opposed by the NHL, according to the source, but it is viewed as a necessity because of the Stars’ long list of creditors. It is hoped the sale can be completed by the end of May, but that is not certain as the bidders who lost out to Gaglardi in this round could resurface in bankruptcy court.

Brandon Worley at Defending Big D, points out that this isn’t the end of the process and by no means 

indicates this is a lock to be finished.  

Two very important facts to take note of from this report, if true: This is the closest we’ve been to the sale actually going through since the team was put on the market well over a year ago, and just because Gagliardi has agreed to terms doesn’t mean that the sale is anywhere near final. He still has, apparently, a 30 day window of exclusive negotiating to narrow down the price and terms of the sale and there’s also the very real chance this thing has to go to bankruptcy court first.

While not exactly a certainty, it appears that the sale getting done prior to the unofficial “deadline” of July 1st is getting closer to becoming a very real possibility.

In terms of the Rangers pursuit of Richards, Dallas getting a stable ownership situation would certainly hinder the chances of him leaving, but it is not nearly as certain as Shoalts makes it seem.  A stable Dallas is likely Richards first choice, but the longer this process drags on the more he will start to mentally think about being elsewhere and the lure of New York, and playing for coach John Tortorella again will creep into his mind.  Certainly not a great development for the Rangers, but not a death blow just yet.

Ryan McDonagh Added To Team USA Roster for World Championships

Earlier I posted about Derek Stepan being added to Team USA for the World Championships.  News keeps changing as now Kevin Allen of USA Today is reporting that Rangers' defenseman Ryan McDonagh will also be added to the Team USA roster for the tournament.  Being selected for the tournament is a great thing for McDongah as it gives him even more experience on a big stage to add to the development he had as a rookie NHL player.  McDonagh had one goal and eight assists while recording an impressive plus-sixteen rating in 40 regular season games with the Rangers this year.  In the playoffs he did not score, but once again showed that he is not intimidated by any stage or any opponent.  He will get to do that again as a member of Team USA. 

Having Kreider, Stepan and McDonagh on Team USA will only increase the interest of Rangers fans in how the team fares and gives yet another glimpse of how bright the future is going to be on Broadway.

Stepan To Join Kreider on Team USA for World Championships; Will They Play Together?

The New York Rangers season might be over, but the team will have a presence at the upcoming World Championships.  Kevin Allen of USA Today tweeted that Derek Stepan will be on the Team USA squad along with prospect Chris Kreider.  The pair has played together before, most notably, at the 2010 U-20 World Junior Championships in which they played on the same line and helped win the gold medal.  The two have shown excellent chemistry together in the past and it would be an easy coaching move to put them on a line with one another during the tournament.

Along with Stepan, Marian Gaborik will play for Slovakia in the tournament, while Artem Anisimov, Vinny Prospal and Henrik Lundqvist all will be sitting out the festivities.