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See what I did there?
Originally, the title of this blog was conceived about the Hawks continuing to come up zeroes here on July 1. But they didn't. The Hawks stuck a big toe, still a bit swollen from getting stepped on in the WCF by the Kings, in the free agent pool and came out with a guy who's a bit of a gamble.
Well, a $2 million/one year gamble. Listen, he can line up and win about 50% of his face-offs and play on just about any line. In seasons past, he's played the point on the power play (au revoir, Monsieur Sharp?). So Richards brings some things that should, in theory help the Hawks who were down to really two legitimate NHL centers after releasing Michal Handzus.
Let's also bear in mind, Richards is 34, two years older than Sharp and one year younger than Marian Hossa–still not just one of the Hawks' best players but one of the better players in hockey.
I heard from a Hawk source just now who says that the Hawks' hockey people feel Richards got emotionally burned out from big contract expectations in New York, and that he could thrive in a secondary role in Chicago.
Not too terribly long ago, Richards was one of the league's premier set up men, a slick puck carrier with elite vision and passing skills, a lefty—and in that regard might have been the perfect complement for one Patrick Kane. But that was then, this is now. And who knows? Will he be an improvement over his predecessor Michal Handzus? Offensively, without question.
What does this mean for the prematurely anointed heir to the second line centsr role, Teuvo Teravainen? the same thing that the Hawks' dogged pursuit of Ryan Kesler meant. He's not ready to be a second one center in the NHL. At least not in the estimation of the team that knows him best, the Chicago Blackhawks.
And it means the Hawks are functioning like a mature, elite hockey team in 2014, not the pathetic "play the kids because the men ain't too good" Hawks of 2004.
So we got Richards. Meh, I like it. It's kind of a no-lose proposition with some potential upside if Richards still has some game and Patrick Kane on his right flank, and Brandon Saad on the other.
My understanding on the Hawks' cap situation is that they will need to move a contract in short order to make Richards fit. I would assume, if that's the case, they have a deal in the works, so stay tuned. Stan Bowman still has his work cut out for him because the Wild and the Blues got a lot (not a little) better today.
All for now,
JJ