The Rangers announced Thursday they have signed college free-agent center Justin Richards to an entry-level contract that begins in the 2020-21 season. According to CapFriendly, it is a two-year deal that pays $925,000 per season at the NHL level.
Richards, 22, played three seasons for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the two-time defending NCAA Tournament champions (2018 and 2019), and in 2019-20, he was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s Best Defensive Forward for the second straight year.
A 5-11, 190-pound, righthanded shooter who was born in Orlando, Florida, and grew up in Columbus, Ohio, Richards had 26 goals and 40 assists for 66 points in his career at Minnesota Duluth, including a career-high 14 goals with 11 assists (25 points) in 34 games in 2019-20.