Richter's a Ranger; Brown's back in Motown

Two players drafted by the expansion Nashville Predators are headed back where they came from.

After much negotiation and speculation, unrestricted free agent goalie Mike Richter will remain with the New York Rangers.Also, the Detroit Red Wings re-acquired Doug Brown, who scored two goals in the Stanley Cup-clinching game against Washington.

The Rangers finally reached agreement late Tuesday with Richter, who has played in New York during all nine of his NHL seasons.

Richter wasn't protected by the Rangers in the June 26 expansion draft and was selected by Nashville. On July 1, Richter became free to negotiate with any NHL team.

Richter, who had expressed a desire to remain with New York, will reportedly get a four-year deal worth between $5.4 million and $5.5 million a year.

Free-agent goalie Curtis Joseph has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $24 million deal with Toronto, contingent on the Maple Leafs trading incumbent goalie Felix Potvin today.

Brown also was picked by Nashville in the expansion draft when the Red Wings left him unprotected.

The Predators gave him back in a trade, receiving Czech Elite League player Petr Sykora, a third-round pick in the 1999 draft and another undetermined draft pick in either 1999 or 2000. Sykora, a center, was the eighth-ranked European in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

Detroit decided not to bring back two familiar faces on defense, as veteran Bob Rouse signed a two-year deal with an option with the San Jose Sharks.

Also not in Detroit's plans was defenseman Dmitri Mironov, who signed a free-agent deal with Washington.