Early Returns

So here's a neat little piece of trivia.

Brad Richards, we all know, wore No. 19 for many successful seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but was unable to secure the same number with his new team, the Dallas Stars, even though no other Dallas player wears it.

Why?

Well, the Stars still maintain a historical connection to their ancestors, the Minnesota North Stars, and No. 19 is one of three numbers retired by the North Stars. It was done so in honor of Bill Masterton, who died in a game in 1968 and for whom the Masterton Trophy was named.

Richards instead chose No. 91, reversing the digits, and then went out Thursday and had five assists in Dallas' romp over Chicago.

That's about as good a start as you can have with a new team. and Richards was even a plus-2 after being the league's worst plus-minus player for most of the season.

He skated more than 19 minutes, more than either Mike Modano or Mike Ribeiro, who has been leading the Stars in scoring most of the season. Richards, from his Tampa days, is used to playing a lot more than that, and it will be interesting to see how coach Dave Tippett juggles the ice time between his three pivots as the season progresses.

If that was the perfect debut for a trade deadline day pickup, the opposite was true for Marian Hossa. The Penguins were thumped by the Bruins, 5-1, in Hossa's first game, and the Slovak winger suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in a collision with Boston forward Glen Murray.

The team is saying Hossa will only miss a week, and we'll see if that's an accurate assessment. Ex-Leaf defenceman Hal Gill, by the way, was minus-2 in his first game with Pittsburgh.

The Hossa injury underlined what an ambitious but risky deal this was for Pittsburgh. In giving up two affordable, young players, their top draft pick from last summer and their 2008 first rounder, the Pens were betting that Hossa's contributions would be so significant in the remainder of the playoffs and post-season that the deal would be worthwhile even if he doesn't re-sign as an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

You applaud Pittsburgh management for the aggressive play, particularly since it was a bit of an impulse buy on the final day. But given the youth of the team's top players and the uncertainty of its goaltending, the Pens would be a bit of a longshot to get out of the conference even if Sidney Crosby returns soon and at full strength after being out since Jan. 18 with a high ankle sprain.

By comparison, Dallas gave up less for Richards in terms of actual players and prospects because the biggest asset they gave to Tampa Bay in the trade was relief from the final three years of the centre's $7.8 million per season contract.

So if Richards were to be hurt, well, the Stars didn't seriously affect their current roster in the trade and they've still got No. 91 locked up for a while yet.

Pittsburgh, by contrast, deleted regulars Erik Christenson and Colby Armstrong to get Hossa, and gave up significant futures for a player who might, in the worst-case scenario, only play a dozen regular season games and one playoff round.

It's going to be fascinating to compare how these deals have turned out in a year from now.

Comments

[Sanj]

Well I am glad that the Habs lost out on the Hossa sweepstakes. I can't imagine what Montreal would have had to offer to top the Penguins bid.

[Danny]

I think it was something along the lines of Higgins, Streit, O'Byrne and Grabovski.

[ChuckyCheese]

Wow. Pittsburgh sure looks stupid now for trading for Hossa, don't they? (I'm a Penguins fan, btw!)

[Jeff Edwards]

I'm not one of those guys that live or die by the Maple Leafs, but watching this latest media circus, I'm perplexed, everybody: management, media, fans seems to have thrown in the towel on the season. Meanwhile the Leafs, including the "Muskoka Five," are the hottest team in the NHL. I just looked at the results from last night. Leafs lost in overtime, after scoring two goals in the third period. Perhaps all of you have missed something here, maybe these players really do want to make the playoffs.

I love underdogs and I'm sure the Leaf players use all the negative reportage as their inspiration.

In 1972 there was a team in far worse straits and they never gave up. And they won, in the last minute.

If the Leafs make the playoffs there will be a million or more in Toronto eating roadkill crow.

I've suddenly become a fan again of the Leafs. They just won't give up.

When I was growing up my father, a WW2 veteran, told me many times: "Canadians never give up." But then again he did not grow up in Toronto.

Thanks from the West Coast

Jeff Edwards

[AJ]

Why wait an year. Its pretty clear that even if Hossa somehow magically comes back to the lineup he will choke in the playoff again. In contrast Richards has already proven in the past what he can do in the playoffs. My question is how come the Leafs didn't go after Richards? Maybe if they didn't tie up so much money on players like Blake, Kubina, Tucker, and McCabe and didn't trade Tuka Rask for Raycroft then they would have had the cap room and players to trade for him. When are we getting that new manager?

[AJ]

Why wait an year. Its pretty clear that even if Hossa somehow magically comes back to the lineup he will choke in the playoff again. In contrast Richards has already proven in the past what he can do in the playoffs. My question is how come the Leafs didn't go after Richards? Maybe if they didn't tie up so much money on players like Blake, Kubina, Tucker, and McCabe and didn't trade Tuka Rask for Raycroft then they would have had the cap room and players to trade for him. When are we getting that new manager?

[Don]

As a Habs fan, I was kind of disappointed that we didn't land Hossa at the deadline - but the disappointment lasted for only an hour or so. Gainey indicated that Hossa would have cost us three players (probably O'Byrne, Grabovski and Streit) as well as a high draft pick. Sometimes you have to say no and this was one of them.

I also hoped the Habs would reacquire Kilger. Damien, you hinted at some kind of "personal issue" with Kilger. Can you elaborate?

[Sam]

Well as Cox said, it was a gamble and Pittsburgh has the offensive talent to do some damage. But I think a larger part of this trade was mentioned in another Star article - ownership/revenue. The Pens need to increase gate revenue by re-building their fan base. And what better way to do it than go deep in the playoffs? I'm assuming that they believe offense is the way to do it in Pittsburgh because it worked during the Lemieux era.

Personally, I think they would have been better off in getting a solid d-man e.g. Campbell. Getting Hossa is like Bill Gates winning the lottery.

And yes - as a Habs fan, I'm extremely pleased that Gainey didn't pull the trigger on the Hossa deal.

[ChuckyCheese]

Excuse me Jeff Edwards, but what makes you think that this pathetic Maple Leafs team won't give up now, when in reality they practically gave up three-fourths of the season already.

It's easy to go out there and give it your all when you are out of the playoff hunt. It seems you hit your head on something when you were jumping back onto the Leafs' bandwagon.

[Ricardo of Acton]

Bang on Jeff! Penguins way overpaid for Marian Hossa whether they sign him long term or not. Hossa will perform his disappearing act as soon as the going gets tough come playoff time while Mike Richards is the true BIG GAME PLAYER and definitely the best player hands down on trade deadline day. Richards will prove it again come playoff time and Damien, Ribiero may be having a career year in Dallas but sorry there's no way he's in the same sentence as Richards.

[Ricardo of Acton]

Sorry my previous post was in regards to AJ's post and 'Brad' not 'Mike' Richards.