Day: July 2, 2011

Rangers continue their busy start to 2011-12 season with a minor league move, sending center Brodie Dupont to the Nashville Predators in exchange for right wing Andreas Thuresson.

A third round pick in 2006, Dupont got a surprise call-up last year and played a limited role on the fourth line in one appearance with the Rangers. The 6-2 210lb forward set a career highs at the AHL level last year, with 31 assists and 45 points, but saw his goal total dip continue a downward trend from 18 in his second AHL season, to 17 in 2009-10 and 14 last season.

It appears to be all but official. The Rangers and Brad Richards have reportedly agreed to a nine year, $60M contract making Richards the third highest Cap hit on the team, but due to front loading, he’ll make the majority of his money in the first five years.

The contract is the longest ever given by the Rangers, eclipsing the seven year deals handed out to Scott Gomez in 2007. It’s also the biggest contract, surpassing the $51.5M given to Gomez.

While all the talk on the first day was around the pursuit of Brad Richards, the Rangers did make a couple of minor moves to fill out their roster. Ruslan Fedotenko will return to the Rangers for a second season, inked to a one year, $1.4M contract.

The deal is $400K more than last season, when Fedotenko came to camp as an unsigned invitee and earned a $1M deal just before the season started. No doubt the Ukrainian born winger preferred not to go that route again. The sturdy left wing played a solid supporting role last year, putting up 10 goals and 15 assists in 66 games while playing mostly on the third line.