Brad Richards said he is looking forward to getting his first shot at unrestricted free agency. Richards talked to ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun about the news that the Dallas Stars would not be offering him a contract prior to July 1.

"Obviously I have to move on," Richards said. "I had fun in Dallas and I like the city. But the (ownership) situation is unclear so I really didn’t have a chance to stay there. I will move on and look forward to the opportunity to being a free agent. I’ve never had that chance in my career. It’s a real big moment in my life to say the least.’"

On whether he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause should the Stars find a deal where they could trade his negotiating rights, Richards had this to say.

"It would be great to try and help Dallas out if something was reasonable and made sense for both sides," said Richards. "But we’ll see what happens. You never know what will happen. I think my mindset right now is to see how many options I have."