The Rangers had to wait a day to land this summer's biggest free agent, but it was likely worth the wait.



Center Brad Richards, a one-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner with 716 points in 772 career games, reportedly agreed to a nine-year, $60 million contract Saturday morning with the Rangers. Richards, 31, spent Friday listening to offers from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings, but he decided to sign a deal with the Rangers that will take him to the age of 40.



Richards and the Rangers seemed like a perfect match going all the way back to the trade deadline. The Rangers needed a No. 1 center who could run their first-unit power play, but choose not to acquire the 31-year-old from the Dallas Stars, instead adding defenseman Bryan McCabe from the Florida Panthers.



Richards said last week he wanted to play in a hockey market with a team that can contend for the Stanley Cup. Madison Square Garden is routinely sold out, and while the Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Jets and Giants might grab the back page of the tabloids more often, there's no doubting New York has some of the most passionate and loyal fans in hockey.



But are the Rangers a Stanley Cup contender? They are coming off a first-round loss to the Washington Capitals and a season where the Rangers finished 18th in the League in points with 93 points. There's no doubting the Rangers have a strong, young core with a lot of promise and the addition of Richards makes them better, but whether this move makes them contenders in the East remains to be seen.



Read the rest of Lozo's analysis here

