Brad Richards Chooses New York Rangers

According to Andy Strickland and confirmed by Darren Dreger Brad Richards has decided he wants to spend the rest of career with the New York Rangers.  The star of the 2011 class will bring his immense talents to Broadway in hopes of bringing the Stanley Cup to the Rangers.   The 31-year-old center brings the Rangers the first line center they have been lacking for years and will hopefully be able to spark a resurgence for Marian Gaborik and aid the Rangers mediocre power play.

Dreger reports the terms of the deal are a 9-years at $6.5 million per season.  The value per season is good for a player of his caliber and considering the market this summer, but the length of the contract is likely to come back and hurt the Rangers down the line.  The deal is likely to be heavily frontloaded in the first two seasons to caution against the next CBA as well.  With the deal being that frontloaded it is likely that the last 2-3 years of the contract are ones in which Richards will never see.  This is a gamble for the Rangers, but there is a clear statement they feel they are ready to compete for a championship and Richards is the piece they feel they need.

Update: According to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet the deal will pay Richards $50 million in the first five seasons.

Update: Dreger corrects early numbers with slight change to 9 years, $60 million with a per cap charge of $6.67