The decision to sign Brad Richards to a free-agent contract last summer resulted from a weakness on the Chicago Blackhawks roster that has existed for several seasons.
While the Blackhawks have one of the most talented rosters in the NHL, and one of the top centers in the league in Jonathan Toews, they have not been getting the consistency or the results from the No. 2 center position that they have wanted to see.
That was not just a problem in 2013-14. It's a problem that goes back several seasons, and when a team falls short of going to the Stanley Cup Final because it gave up a goal in overtime of the seventh game in the Western Conference Final, it's hard not to play the "what if" game.
What if the Blackhawks had a solid No. 2 center who compared to Jeff Carter of the Los Angeles Kings? Would that have been enough to get past the eventual champions? Would they have won their second Stanley Cup in a row and their third in five years?
It's fairly safe to assume that the Blackhawks would answer yes to those questions, which led to their signing of Richards in the offseason.
And why not?
Richards, 34, was a br ...
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Article written by Steve Silverman
How Much Longer Can the Chicago Blackhawks Afford to Rely on Brad Richards?
November 6th, 2014 by Steve Silverman Leave a reply »
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