New York Rangers GM Glen Sather refused to talk about Brad Richards' future at the news conference introducing Alain Vigneault as the team's next head coach. Richards is a candidate for a compliance buyout due to the salary cap coming down and an extremely sub-par 2013 regular season and playoffs in which he looked tired and out of place at times. Players were expected to attend Vigneault's presser, but it's unclear if Richards was among them. If Richards does stay, he should have every chance to rediscover his offensive game under Vigneault, who made point of saying he believes skill players should have more "latitude" on the ice.

Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News points out that Brad Richards' presence, or lack thereof, at Friday's introduction of coach Alain Vigneault could be telling for his future in New York. Leonard notes that Richards is unlikely to show up for an intro for a coach he won't play for and a no-show would mean a compliance buyout is probably coming for the former Conn Smythe winner. Meanwhile, if Richards shows it's a sign that he's not only behind the hire, but also a sign that he expects to play for Vigneault for at least one season. Leonard uses the same reasoning for Mark Messier, who publicly campaigned for the Rangers head coach job but lost out of Vigneault. Messier is currently an executive in the Rangers' front office, but GM Glen Sather admitted recently he's not sure what the future holds for the former captain.

A club source said that the Philadelphia Flyers would "absolutely" be interested in Brad Richards if the Rangers make the call to buy him out. The Flyers plan to use a compliance buyout on Daniel Briere 48 hours after the Stanley Cup Finals ends. If they can fit Richards into their cramped salary cap situation then they will look to get him under contract to essentially take Briere's place. However, there is also a belief that the Rangers may keep Richards for at least another season to see if new coach Alain Vigneault can spark his play. We would be inclined to lean more toward the latter scenario.

If the Rangers decide to amnesty the contract of Brad Richards there is a chance he could end up back in Tampa. He had his greatest successes in the Bay area leading the Bolts to a Stanley Cup. At this point this is just speculation. But we will monitor this situation anyway.

Brad Richards described his 2013 campaign as a "mess." Richards was relegated to the fourth line in the postseason and spent the final two games of the Rangers' campaign in the press box. Although he still recorded a solid 34 points in 46 regular season games, he knows he might be subjected to a compliance buyout this summer. "That's been written since probably a week into the season," Richards said. "That's the business side of it. I'm playing hockey no matter what." He admitted to not feeling normal all season, but his focus is on bouncing back in 2013-14. It's worth noting that a good chunk of the reason Richards might be bought out is due to some of the terms of the new CBA. Specifically, the Rangers would face a cap penalty if Richards retires before the end of his contract, which is a strong possibility given that the 33-year-old is signed through the 2019-20 campaign.

The Rangers will have a difficult decision to make regarding the future of center Brad Richards in the offseason. Richards still has seven years remaining on his nine-year, $60 million contract that costs the Rangers a cap hit of $6.67 million annually and with the NHL's salary cap falling next season it may be difficult to keep the veteran in tow. If he were bought out by the team, expect Richards to draw significant attention from teams needing a boost to their power play.

Brad Richards isn't on the ice for the Rangers' pre-game warmups. It looks like Richards will be a healthy scratch as expected. It wouldn't be surprising if we've seen him play in his last game as a member of the New York Rangers.

Brad Richards is projected to be a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Before that, Richards had been reduced to fourth line duties. It wouldn't be surprising if the Rangers decided to buy out his contract this summer.

Based on the New York Rangers' morning skate, it looks like Brad Richards will probably be a healthy scratch again on Saturday. Richards skated with the scratches rather than participate in the Rangers' main practice. Something could still change, but it looks like the Rangers will go with the same lineup that won them Game 4.

New York Rangers coach vehemently defended his decision to scratch a healthy Brad Richards before Thursday's Game 4. "This is a Conn Smythe winner, a guy I've grown up with, a guy that I love as a person and a player, but I have to make that decision regarding this. So kiss my ass if you want to run something different. It's not about blaming that guy, and I don't want anyone to pile on," Tortorella said after New York's 4-3 overtime win. Torts also called Richards "a hell of a hockey player" and said he had to make the decision because keeping the struggling Richards on the fourth line doesn't help either party, which we kind of agree with. It remains to be seen if Richards will be back in the lineup for Saturday's Game 5.