The New York Rangers have a long history of over-paying for big-name free agents: Bobby Holik in 2002 (five years, $45 million), Chris Drury in 2007 (five years, $37.5 million), Scott Gomez in 2007 (seven years, $51.5 million) Wade Redden in 2008 (six years, $39 million).
The Big Apple constantly craves for superstar power in their city, but the Rangers have proved that big names don’t equal success.
However, their recent bad luck with big-name free agents didn’t prevent the Rangers from going after this summer’s top free-agency prize when they signed Brand Richards. Hoping that Richards lives up contract (nine years, $60 million), the Rangers have once again put all of their eggs in a single superstar’s basket. Richards, a former Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner, led the Dallas Stars in scoring for the second straight season last year with 28 goals and 49 assists in 72 games. Not exactly stats that scream $60 million, but the Rangers believe that Richards is capable of being a top-five scorer in the league.
Richards will have even more pressure put on him with the departures of captain Chris Drury (retirement), veteran Vinny Prospal (signed with the Columbus) and Alex Frolov (floating around in Russia somewhere?). But Richards won’t be alone. He’ll be alongside sniper Marian Gaborik, who the Rangers desperately need to get back on track after putting up just 22 goals last season. The Rangers are also expecting big things from youngsters Wojtek Wolski and Artem Anisimov.
Speaking of youngsters, there will be plenty of eyes on defenseman Michael Del Zotto. After an impressive rookie campaign, Del Zotto fell into a disastrous sophomore slump. He struggled defensively and on the power play and eventually found himself in the AHL. He had just 11 points in 47 games last season.
Despite the big signing, the Rangers head into training camp with plenty of questions. Can Richards carry the team offensively? Can Gaborik bounce back? How will Ryan Callahan fare as the new captain? How long will defenseman Marc Staal be out with post-concussion symptoms?
Unlike last season, where they had to fight to get the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers hope to be a playoff contender this season and answer those questions in the process.
