The Chicago Blackhawks filled their hole at second-line centre by securing the services of a veteran at a cut-rate price. Cheap Air Max 95 Mens . Numbers Game looks at the Blackhawks signing Brad Richards. The Blackhawks Get: C Brad Richards. Richards, 34, has been a productive scorer throughout his career, but that productivity has waned as he approaches his mid-thirties. While he finished with a respectable 51 points in 82 games last season, that 0.62 points per game represented a career low and the second-lowest rate of his career was in 2012-2013, when he had 0.74 points per game. The downward trend is pretty clear at this point. He played 18:40 per game last season, his lowest average time on ice since his rookie season in 2000-2001. Given the massive contract that Richards had with the New York Rangers (nine years, $60-million), and the new recapture penalties that were imposed in the latest collective bargaining agreement, the Rangers had little choice but to buy out Richards, after paying him $33-million for the first three years of his deal. A long and productive career leaves Richards with few needs financially, so he went into his newfound free agency looking for a good fit and settled on joining the Blackhawks, a Stanley Cup contender who could use an upgrade at their second-line centre spot. In the past couple years, even as his point production has started to fall, Richards has had his zone starts tilted towards the offensive zone, with more than 65% of his shifts starting in the offensive zone. As a result, hes had strong possession stats, which may be enough to suggest that, even in decline, in a sheltered role, Richards would be an upgrade on Michal Handzus as Chicagos number two centre. In Chicago, there is a good opportunity for Richards to have a productive year. Any combination of the Blackhawks top scoring wingers includes Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad, so playing with two of them ought to give Richards a chance to have decent even-strength production. Whether Richards can match last seasons scoring totals, however, probably will have some dependence on power play production and, over the past couple seasons, Richards has really struggled to produce with the man advantage. Furthermore, Richards presence likely means that top Blackhawks prospect Teuvo Teravainen wont be starting the season in Chicago and that may be fine for his overall development, but if Teravainen shows that hes ready, it would be easy enough to see Richards bumped down the depth chart, as has happened from time to time with the Rangers over the past couple seasons. There is a benefit to the contract that Richards signed with Chicago -- a one-year, $2-million deal -- in that his declining production in New York was frequently contrasted with how much money the Rangers had tied up to get him. Now, Richards is a bargain signing and if he gives Chicago decent second-line production, he would bring a positive return on investment. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Outlet Air Max Cheap .A. Happs hold on a spot in the Blue Jays starting rotation is in question. Cheap Air Max 95 . Louis Cardinals continued their offensive tear with a 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a four-game series. http://www.airmaxsneakersonsale.com/cheap-air-max-270.html .Steamboat Ski Resort contends Steamboat Springs, Colorado has long been known as Ski Town, U.S.A., and claims in a new lawsuit that Salt Lake tourism officials violated their trademark when they rolled out the Ski City marketing campaign last month.St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Martin Brodeur posted his first shutout as a member of the Blues in St. Louis 3-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. Brodeur, who spent his first 21 seasons with the New Jersey Devils, has tallied the most shutouts in NHL history over the course of his prolific career and made 16 saves to earn number 125. Dmitrij Jaskin, Chris Butler and Vladimir Tarasenko all scored for the Blues, who ended a four-game skid with a solid defensive effort. I think hes gotten more comfortable here, Butler said of Brodeur. I think tonight was an awesome performance by him. Semyon Varlamov allowed all three goals on 25 shots as Colorados three-game winning streak was snapped. Its clear that we need to do things differently, Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy said. Neither team was able to convert in the opening stanza as Colorado held an 8-5 shot margin after twenty minutes of play. It didnt take long for St. Louis to start the scoring in the second period as Jaskins shot from the right circle went under the pad of Varlamov for a Blues lead 28 seconds into the frame. Butler took a dish from T. Wholesale Air Max China. . Oshie off the cycle, charged in on net from the left circle and finished the play by elevating a backhander over Varlamovs shoulder for a 2-0 game at 4:30 of the second. Varlamov denied Maxim Lapierres one-timer point blank early in the third to keep it a two-goal game. Tarasenko intercepted a Colorado pass in the offensive zone and capped the scoring on a quick wrister with 4:35 left in regulation. Game Notes Blues forward Paul Stastny finished with two assists ... Varlamov stopped all 20 shots as Colorado shut out the Blues. 5-0, on Dec. 22 ... Colorado forward Alex Tanguay played in his 500th career game ... The Blues improved to 15-4-1 when scoring first this season ... Butler scored his first goal as a member of the Blues. The veteran defenseman spent his six previous seasons with Buffalo and Calgary before signing with St. Louis in July ... Avalanche forward John Mitchell took charge of the physical side of the contest with a game-high seven hits ... The two teams will conclude their season series at Scottrade Center on Jan. 19. ' ' '