Vancouver Canucks Failed to Land Brad Richards

Toby WardFeb 27, 2008

While the Dallas Stars won the Brad Richards sweepstakes by delivering three roster players and a draft pick for the highly coveted, and highly priced winger (formerly of the Tampa Bay Lightning).

And Dallas won the trade despite a very lucrative and formal offer from the Vancouver Canucks. According to the long-time color analyst for the Canucks, Tom Larscheid (Team 1040 radio in Vancouver), Vancouver GM Dave Nonis formally offered Tampa Bay the following in exchange for Brad Richards:

Luc Bourdon
Corey Schneider
First-round draft choice
Second-round draft choice

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Instead, Tampa GM Jay Feester opted for the package offered by Stars’ two Co-General Managers, Brett Hull and Les Jackson:

Mike Smith
Jeff Halpern
Jussi Jokinen
Fourth-round draft choice

Brad Richards is playing for Dallas tonight. Alternatively, Matt Perringer and his two goals join the Canucks lineup.

Most analysts say that Mike Smith is a better goalie than Corey Schneider and Tampa made a good choice.

However, Tampa passed on a hell of a defenseman in Bourdon and two hefty draft picks for a utility, journeyman in Halpern, and a Jokinen who is struggling to break the 20-goal barrier in the NHL.

If Larscheid is correct (and this is only anecdotally passed along by Team 1040 host Dave Pratt), the Lightnings really dropped the ball in choosing Dallas’s offer. Having said that, as a Vancouver fan, I’m sure glad the Canucks did not mortgage the future and part with so many valued futures for a highly over-priced winger in Richards (only 18 goals this year).

I am however near despondent that the Canucks failed to add any scoring punch.

I realize the prices were astronomical and not worth paying, but Nonis has had this problem (lack of scoring) for two years and added no one but mistakes like Jan Bulis, Brian Smolinski, Brad Isbister, and others that have been miserable failures.

I never thought I’d miss Anson Carter….