I te Hui-tanguru 26, 2008, tata ki te toru haora i mua o te mutunga o te hokohoko NHL, i hokona a Richards ki te Dallas Stars i roto i te mahi nui (me te kaitiaki Johan Holmqvist) hei utu mo te kaitiaki Mike Smith, pokapū Jeff Halpern, winger Jussi Jokinen me te 2009
ko te kōwhiringa tuawhā o te tauwhāinga. I whakatauhia e Richards te rekoata franchise a Stars mo te nuinga o nga awhina i roto i te keemu timatanga a te kaitakaro me te rima; ko te rekoata ano he mahi nui mo Richards. I roto i te kēmu, i hinga a Dallas i te Chicago Blackhawks 7 ki te 4, a ko Richards te whetu tuatahi o te kēmu.