Brad Richards: Finally Earning His Pay from Dallas

So far into this season, Brad Richards has been good—scratch that—Brad Richards has been really good. Averaging over a point a game 25 games in, Richards finds himself fifth in the league in points. Say what?

The Stars have never been a team full of superstars (Mike Modano and Brett Hull are arguably the only two huge names to play since the team moved to Dallas), nor have they been an offensive team, often utilizing the trap and typically playing in low-scoring games. Richards is defying both of these ideologies this year, however, proving them to be nothing but myths.

For those that don't know or have simply forgotten, Richards was surprisingly traded to Dallas on the 2007-08 season trade deadline alongside goalie Johan Holmqvist, in exchange for backup goaltender Mike Smith, Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen and a draft pick.

The move, which would end up costing the Stars around $8-million for the remaining years on his contract, was supposed to be the missing piece to win the Stars the Stanley Cup.

Richards had already won a cup, not to mention the Conn Smythe the same year, and this was expected to give the Stars enough playoff experience and power that they'd go all the way. That didn't happen. Richards did however provide offensively, proven by his setting an NHL record one game by putting up four points in a period in the second round.

Where Richards lacked was defensively, ultimately being a liability whenever the puck was in Dallas' zone, just as many critics suggested would happen. (Richards went an awful -27 through 74 games that regular season.)

Then there was last year, where Richards was injured twice leading him to play just over 50 games, and putting up 48 points. Many fans would be happy with a near point-per-game player, but not those of Dallas (myself included), who felt that considering he put up over 70 points in his last four seasons in Tampa, the Stars were paying too much for a player to have just a good season.

Throw in a shaky season by Marty Turco who had a GAA under .900, and many fans thought trading a quality young goalie in Mike Smith was a bad decision.

Cue this season. Richards came in the twelfth highest player in the NHL. The Stars missed their first playoff birth since 2002, decided Brett Hull and Les Jackson weren't cutting it as GM's, and fired Dave Tippett, their bench boss since the '02-'03 season. The Stars needed to shine, but early injuries to Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen, combined with the loss of long-time defenseman Sergei Zubov to the KHL left the Stars without many of their veteran leaders. Richards answered the call.

So far this year, he has set-up everyone on the ice. He has 32 points, and is even playing well offensively, boasting a +/- actually on the plus side (something he hadn't done since the '03-'04 Stanley Cup season.) At his current rate, Richards is on par for a career season in points. He has helped keep the Stars at a decent record, as they currently sit in a three-way tie for sixth in the West.

The Stars' stars are quickly recovering and joining the team, and in large part to Richards play the team is still in contention to finish high in the division (much unlike Toronto who crumbled without star player Phil Kessel).

Regardless of what the reason is: Olympic year, trade talk, criticism from the fans, Richards has stepped his game up. He has silenced his doubters in Dallas, and as a Stars fan I am finally happy to say that he is proving that all the money is worth it. While it has been a long wait for Richards to do what Stars fans hoped, he picked a great year to do it. 

With linemate James Neal exploding as well, Turco playing well, and Modano possibly retiring at the conclusion of the season, the stars seem to be aligned for Dallas.