Ryder, I hardly know her! Last week, Brad Richards signed a nine-year, $60 million with the New York Rangers. With salary and a signing bonus, he'll make $12 million in 2011-12.
Richards' departure is more than a little bittersweet.
For one, we knew he was in his final year of his deal and we knew that the Dallas Stars were not going to be able to re-sign due to ownership chaos and a total lack of funds to sign any big free agent.
Richards was leaving. By December, the Stars were in the playoff hunt. They'd led the Pacific Division. The decision was whether or not to go for it all in the Stanley Cup playoffs or get what you can from Richards in a trade and most assuredly miss the playoffs.
By March, they'd kept Richards and the Stars ran out of gas and missed the playoffs anyway. It was a calculated move and I don't question Joe Nieuwendyk's decision.
Richards was the Stars' best player. Imagine the Rangers losing Josh Hamilton. The Cowboys, Tony Romo. The Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki. Just think about them walking away and going somewhere else.
This is the state of things for the Stars. By all accounts, he would have had no problem staying. However, the Stars could not promise Richards a chance to win, and that's being honest. The ownership thing was rumored to be settled last season. It wasn't. It doesn't look very close to being handled.
The Stars are multiple players away from competing -- not only for a championship -- but for their own division. The Stars could have all the money in the world, but if they can't win Richards was going to walk. Simple as that.
Still, the Stars have money to spend. I believe it was $10 million they needed to spend to hit the cap floor.
They signed six players -- very low key, very inexpensive -- and have addressed some real issues. Those signings:
Michael Ryder
31 - Right Wing - two years, $7 million
A very salty character. Just won a Stanley Cup with Boston and he's just 31 years old. He notched 27 goals in 2008-09 and has two 30-goal seasons. Last year he had 41 points as he's becoming much more of a facilitator. I think he's most valuable because he's very sturdy. He's never played less than 70 games in his career (seven seasons). He's played 79 or more games five times. For a team wrought with injuries most season, having Ryder is a huge boon.
Vern Fiddler
31 - Left Wing - three years, $5.4 million
Statistically, he doesn't look like much. Hockey, however, is a sport that goes far beyond stats. For one, Fiddler was named alternate captain with Phoenix a year ago. He wins 53 percent of his faceoffs and he's the lead turd on Phoenix's penalty-kill squad. Does all the stuff the Stars couldn't do last season. Love it.
Radek Dvorak
34 - Right Wing - one year, $1.5 million
A veteran. A past-his-prime penalty killer. One note, he's cheap and very little commitment, and he's the biggest (literally) free agent signee at 6-2 and 200 pounds.
Adam Pardy
27 - Defenseman - two years, $4 million
Dvorak was with Florida when Nieuwendyk was an assistant GM there. Pardy was with new head coach Glen Gulutzan in the minors. He's going into his fourth season in the NHL and spent most of last season out with a bad shoulder. This has to be a Gulutzan signing.
Jake Dowell
26 - Center - one year, $800,000
Played a total of four NHL games before getting into 79 games for Chicago in 2010-11. Second time Nieuwendyk's raided the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks on the cheap after Adam Burish a year ago.
Sheldon Souray
35 - Defenseman - one year, $1.65 million
Interesting. Huge guy (6-4, 233). A two-time All-Star, who had 53 points in 2009-10, 23 of them on the power play. He was demoted to the minors a season ago. Maybe on the downward slope of his career, or just needs some tender love and care. We'll see.
