Winter Classic Brad Richards Review

I'm back trying my hand at a 2nd review, this time I'll be reviewing Winter Classic Brad Richards (90) hopefully this goes well!

Like last time all games I've played with him have been in both D1 and D2.

Line: 87 TOTW Justin Schultz - 90 Winter Classic Brad Richards - 92/91 Movember Brad Marchand

Synergies Effecting Him: Passing Playmaker, Defensively Responsible, Cycle Game, One Timer Efficiency, Long Range Bombers, Team Shot Blocking

Skating: 8.5/10

Much like most of stats Richards' skating exceeds expectations from the overall that shows on the front of the card. Looking at his advanced stats he doesn't have a skating rating lower than 90 and it's only in one category, agility. He can move pretty quick down ice at 92 speed he's just above "average", fast enough to keep up with everyone. He's not Bure or Sullivan but he is not a liability like other players. I don't see him having any problem at all on the wing. Another thing I like about him is his endurance, at 93 he can stay out there perfect for a penalty killing.

Shooting: 8.5/10

Richards shooting is just high enough that he can put the puck in the back of the net a fairly regular rate. His wrister is pretty quick while his slap shot isn't outstanding. Activating bombers is a huge help but isn't necessary. He can also lurk around net and clean up rebounds. I have noticed he whiffs on that easy cross crease 1 timer more than I would like but that seems to be the nature of NHL 17 as a whole. Won't lead the line in goals but can contribute at a good rate.

Hands: 9/10

With PP and CG on his card it is definitely worth activating. Passing is a 93 will stand alone that's about average for upper level players it still gets the job done and with the boosts of course he's outstanding. He can move the puck around great whether it's passing or dekeing. Richards can slip by defenders well enough to create space for plays to happen. Just an overall great assist man.

Checking: 8.75/10

I couldn't decide what to rate him because he's not a tiny guy and he's no power house so I split the difference. As a mid sized guy he's hard to rate but he can throw the body pretty well against players his size and even take the puck off big guys with the right momentum. Richards is definitely not a light weight but he's no heavy weight either, the only way I can describe it is he's exactly in the middle. The real stand out though is his stick checking striping the puck easily with his pokes and lifts. This will bring us to his last category and I think his best, defense.

Defense: 9.25/10

Richards is unreal in the defensive zone. He plays on my PK and absolutely kills it (no pun intended). With his amazing stick checking and ability to last longer than most forwards on the ice he's amazing. Also another bonus is his 86 shot blocking which is also pretty good for a forward to get in the lanes and stop shots from going on net. His faceoffs are "only" an 87 which is an okay rating, with his speed he could play the wing if you've got someone who's got a really outstanding faceoff rating. He still wins majority of draws for me. One of the better defensive guys within this range of price and overall.

Overall:

Brad Richards is an extremely average card on most upper level teams. As a more defensive player he may not even be on most teams but he still can keep up offensively. Much like Vertseeg and 88 Eric Staal the front card stats don't tell the full story and plays above his overall. He can play anywhere on someone's team and do well whether it's top 6 or bottom 6. Matched with some solid linemates and he can be a really good card to grab. He's sitting around 70k-90k which is a huge steal for such a good card. A player I think he plays similar to is Joe Pavelski (any of Pavelski's cards). He's the perfect center and final piece if you just need a great balanced player, a very underrated guy.

TL:DR: underrated, pretty fast, solid shot, great hands, lock down defensively

Again thank you for reading/ scrolling to the end of my 2nd player review, I appreciate it!