NHL Trade Rumors: The 5 Best Fits for Brad Richards
As long as the Stars continue to win, Brad Richards will remain in Texas.
However, the organization's management is experiencing turmoil and may move their most substantial asset if offered the right prospects or draft picks.
As of Thursday, Richards is ninth in the NHL with 16 goals and sixth with 39 points.
The following five teams are the best fits for the 30-year-old winger.
1. Colorado Avalanche
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The Avalanche have bounced back after a brutal year in 2008 by adding young talent like Matt Duchene, Ryan O'Reilly, and T.J. Galiardi.
With a young, inexpensive team, the surging Avs could afford to bring Brad Richards, a proven scorer and veteran locker room presence, to Colorado.
His Stanley Cup experience with the Lightning would be extremely valuable to a team that was bounced in the first round of the playoffs last year.
2. St. Louis Blues
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With T.J. Oshie out, the Blues have struggled offensively and have taken a nosedive in the Western Conference rankings.
This is a team that is built to be competitive in the long run and is $13.5 million under the cap.
While they will eventually need to pay their younger players, Brad Richards would certainly boost their inanimate offense.
3. Los Angeles Kings
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The Kings missed out on the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes—perhaps a blessing in disguise—and, as a result, have cap room to take on Brad Richards.
Los Angeles is playing well defensively, but could use the forward to bolster their offense.
The Kings will need an edge in their division, and acquiring Richards would hit two birds with one stone. They would relinquish the Stars' best player while gaining a potential edge over the Sharks, who picked up Dany Heatley, another phenomenal scorer, last season.
He would most likely gel with the Kings and could use his Stanley Cup experience to help navigate this team to the Finals.
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4. Tampa Bay Lightning
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Since Tampa Bay dealt Richards to the Stars in 2008, the Lightning have gone from Stanley Cup champions playing in front of large crowds to a cellar-dweller in the East.
The Bolts have gone through a makeover under new GM Steve Yzerman and are legitimate contenders.
A return to Tampa has the potential to be a win-win situation for both team and player.
5. New York Rangers
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In the Big Apple it is common to see prominent teams go all in for a big-name player.
The Rangers are pressed against the cap, but would be willing to move players and stuff underachievers in the minors (see: Wade Redden) in order to put another scorer on Marian Gaborik's line.
The Blueshirts are bona fide contenders this year and would benefit from Richards' production. Additionally, the forward would be reunited with John Tortorella, his coach when he won the Stanley Cup in Florida.
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