Rangers wait on Richards, sign Rupp
The Rangers signed former Penguins center Mike Rupp to a three-year deal worth $1.5 million per year. Credit: Christopher Pasatieri
The Rangers, Kings, Maple Leafs, Flames and Lightning made lucrative multiyear offers to Brad Richards, the only elite forward in the NHL free-agent market, and the former center for Tampa Bay and Dallas was mulling them over Friday night. It was unclear when he will make a decision.
While waiting for Richards, the Rangers added a rugged, physical veteran for the fourth line. Former Devils and Penguins center Mike Rupp, 31, signed a three-year deal worth $4.5 million.
Richards, a playmaking center who won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Lightning under coach John Tortorella in 2004, will receive much more, reportedly in the range of $50 million to $60 million, including signing bonuses, in a front-loaded contract. The Prince Edward Island native, who scored 91 points in 2009-10 and 72 in 77 games this past season for Dallas, rejected offers to be traded by management in order to test the free-agent waters.
On Friday, a procession of executives trundled to Mississagua, Ontario, outside of Toronto, to the office of Newport Sports Management to woo Richards. The Rangers did not send a contingent; team officials weighed in on a conference call.
Richards and his agent, Pat Morris, received the presentations beginning at noon. The Kings, who sent the largest group, arrived first, the Leafs followed and Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman made a pitch at about 3 p.m. before pulling out of the bidding Friday night. Morris also represents sniper Steven Stamkos, whom the Lightning has been unable to sign long-term. The Rangers reportedly made their initial offer by conference call at about 4:30 p.m. and the Flames followed with a call at about 5 p.m.
The Rangers also re-signed forward Ruslan Fedotenko, who scored 10 goals and had 25 points in 66 games last season, to a one-year, $1.4-million deal. That's $400,000 more than last year.
If the Rangers do not land Richards, they are expected to trade for a center, possibly Florida's Stephen Weiss or Colorado's Paul Stastny, and perhaps sign a defenseman.
Rupp, who was a rookie on New Jersey's Stanley Cup team in 2003, totaled 22 goals and 14 assists for Pittsburgh in the past two seasons. The 6-5, 230-pound veteran, originally the Islanders' first-round choice in the 1998 draft, has racked up 656 penalty minutes in 497 NHL games and will take some of the burden of dropping the gloves from Brandon Prust.
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