L.A. Kings make a bold move by placing Mike Richards on waivers

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Elliott Teaford

The Kings placed under-performing forward Mike Richards on waivers Monday, marking their return to business after the All-Star break with a bold move that probably won’t work out as hoped.

Richards’ high salary and low production make it unlikely another team will claim him. Richards has a $5.75 million salary cap hit for the next five seasons after this one. He will make $7 million for 2014-15, $6 million for 2015-16, followed by $5.5 million, $4.5 million, $3 million and $3 million. He has only five goals and 10 assists in 47 games this season.

Richards, who turns 30 on Feb. 11, had 18 goals and 26 assists in 2011-12, helping to lead the Kings to their first Stanley Cup championship. He had 12 goals and 20 assists during the lockout-shortened 2013-14 season. Last season he had 11 goals and 30 assists as the Kings won the Cup again.

If he clears waivers, a likely scenario, he could be sent to the Kings’ American Hockey League team in Manchester, N.H., which would give the salary-cap burdened team a relief of only $925,000. The other 29 teams in the NHL have until 9 a.m., Tuesday to claim him.

Richards joined the Kings in a June 23, 2011 trade that sent Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and a second-round draft pick in 2012 to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Kings also received the draft rights to Rob Bordson in the deal.

The Kings were set to resume practice after the break at 2 p.m. Monday.

Check back for updates.

Will the L.A. Kings bench ineffective forward Mike Richards?

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Elliott Teaford

Kings forward Mike Richards played only 9 minutes, 7 seconds in Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers, a season low. He was scoreless and has five goals and nine assists this season. His plus/minus defensive rating is minus-8. He and frequently-scratched forward Jordan Nolan skated Friday in yellow jerseys while the rest of the Kings’ forwards were grouped in threes in like-colored sweaters.

It led to speculation Friday that Richards could be scratched for Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, the first time he would miss a game for any reason since the 2011-12 season, after an off-season trade from the Philadelphia Flyers. Richards played all 41 games so far this season, after playing in all 82 last season and all 48 during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.

“I still, obviously, think I can play a lot more minutes,” Richards said after Friday’s practice. “But at the same time, you play what you’re put in a position of. I’m not going to cause a scene or doing anything to take the focus away from everything. I’m just going to come to the rink every day and play hockey. It is what it is, to be honest. You come here every day, you work, you get ready for a hockey game just like any other year or any other time, and that’s about all you can do.”

Mike Richards breaks down all that makes Anze Kopitar such a standout player

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Elliott Teaford

Mike Richards had plenty to say when asked Tuesday how difficult it is to play the sort of exceptional two-way game fellow Kings forward Anze Kopitar has played during a season in which he was named a Selke Trophy finalist.

“To play like ‘Kopi’, there’s maybe two, three guys in the world that can,” Richards said. “I’d say it’s pretty hard. But it just seems like every time he’s on the ice, he calms everything down, whether it’s just a point in the game where it’s hectic out there, we’re running around. He steps on the ice, he seems to have that calming influence on everybody, just the way he plays.

“He’s a big, strong guy. He has skill. He’s really got it all. Then you put the emphasis that he does on playing on the defensive side on the puck, that really makes a special player. What he can do on the ice, take over games. …

“After a couple of games ago, where Johnny (Chicago captain Jonathan Toews) had his game, played really well, ‘Kopi’ was right there with him, too. He can elevate. It’s really fun to watch those two go at it against each other. To see the skill level that he has. …

“I think Darryl (Sutter, Kings coach,) has helped him a lot, putting a little more emphasis on that defensive side. If he played in the Eastern Conference on a team that didn’t stress defense as much as us, he could easily be a 100-point guy. He sacrifices that to be a two-way player and play on both sides of the puck.

“We see it every day, so we kind of get spoiled. But I think a couple years ago when we won the Cup, it was kind of his coming out party, and everybody now realizes how good he is.”

Jeff Carter, Mike Richards recall rallying from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Elliott Teaford

Kings forwards Jeff Carter and Mike Richards have been here before, down and counted out four years ago. Carter, Richards and the Philadelphia Flyers did the unthinkable during the spring of 2010, however. They rallied from a 3-0 series deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins four games to three.

The Flyers joined the 1975 New York Islanders and the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs as the only teams in Stanley Cup playoff history to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-7 playoff series. Carter, Richards and their Kings teammates hope to become the fourth team to pull it off.

The San Jose Sharks lead their first-round series against the Kings 3-0, with Game 4 set for Thursday night at Staples Center. The Sharks won the first two games in San Jose by scores of 6-3 and 7-2 and then pulled out a 4-3 overtime win in Game 3 on Tuesday at Staples Center.

“There’s not much you can say or show or do to inspire a team,” Richards said Wednesday. “I think you should be inspired enough with the opportunity we have in front of us. It’s easy to say, but I think as a group you just have to know, one, it’s not going to be easy and, two, it is possible.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for us to show everybody who’s kind of writing us off right now and to show how resilient we are as a group. We’ve done good things in the past. This is just another thing we have to be excited to accomplish.”

Said Carter: “It’s just one game at a time. That’s what it has to be. Three-oh is a big hole, but it’s been done before. You win that one game and you start to get some momentum going. We have to go into their building and win two games. You have to approach it as one game. You win that one game and you put a little doubt in their mind and they know we’re coming. That’s the way it has to be.”

Kings coach Darryl Sutter refuses to criticize his team’s play in Game 1 loss

Posted on April 19, 2014 by Elliott Teaford

Kings coach Darryl Sutter didn’t think the team played all that poorly in Game 1.

“We liked our team the last game,” Sutter said Saturday on the eve of Game 2. “We didn’t like the first goal and we didn’t like the last minute of the first period. It’s what I said after the game and what I said (Friday), we didn’t have a problem, we didn’t have a problem with the way we played as individuals.”

Sutter’s statement came in response to a question about unproductive forward Mike Richards, who hasn’t scored a goal since March 25 against the Washington Capitals and whose last assist was Feb. 26 against the Colorado Avalanche.

“I don’t think it’s one player,” Sutter said. “Mike was good last game. It’s not about one player.”

Philly columnist has an interesting take on the Kings’ Carter and Richards

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Elliott Teaford

Here’s the link, from a veteran columnist who actually follows hockey: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20140325_Flyers_since_the_Carter__Richards_trades.html

Goal drought prompts the question: what’s wrong with Mike Richards?

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Elliott Teaford

Kings forward Mike Richards skated through his 21st consecutive game without scoring a goal. He did have an assist on Drew Doughty’s power-play goal, the Kings’ lone score in a 3-1 loss Saturday to the Detroit Red Wings. He also had eight shots on goal and played 22 shifts over 16 minutes, 46 seconds. He hasn’t scored a goal since Nov. 25 against the Vancouver Canucks, however.

“He played a good game tonight,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said of Richards, who has 30 points (six goals, 24 assists) in 46 games. “It was probably his best game, with the most opportunities he’s had in 21 games.”

Reports from Vancouver indicate Jeff Carter could play against Canucks

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Elliott Teaford

Jeff Carter hasn’t played since suffering a foot injury in the Kings’ overtime victory Oct. 30 over the San Jose Sharks. Reporters in Vancouver posted blog items indicating it was possible Carter could be back in the Kings’ lineup for Monday’s game against the Canucks. He was expected to skate with Mike Richards and Dwight King. The Kings must activate Carter from injured reserve, however, and make a corresponding move to make room for him on their 23-man roster.

Goaltender Jonathan Quick, who is expected to be sidelined by a groin strain until Christmas at the earliest, would be the likely candidate to be put on IR.

Looking ahead to the Kings’ game Tuesday against the woebegone Sabres

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Elliott Teaford

The Kings (11-6-0) left town Monday morning to begin a four-game trip Tuesday against the Sabres in Buffalo. They also face the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. As of Monday, the Rangers were the only team with a winning record. The Kings muzzled the struggling Sabres (3-15-1) during a 2-0 shutout by goaltender Jonathan Quick last Thursday at Staples Center. Quick recorded his first shutout of the season and the 26th of his career, six behind all-time club leader Rogie Vachon.

The Kings’ power play has clicked six times in the last 20 chances with the man-advantage for a 30 percent success rate. Mike Richards has points in four consecutive games (three goals, five assists). He also has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his last eight games. Jarret Stoll (upper body) has resumed skating, but Mike Carter (foot) isn’t expected to return to the ice any time soon. In addition, Kyle Clifford suffered a head injury in the Kings’ victory Saturday over the Vancouver Canucks. The Sabres, last in the NHL, are winless at home this season (0-8-1).

Three things about the Kings’ 2-1 shootout victory over the Oilers

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Elliott Teaford

The Edmonton Oilers went into Sunday’s game against the Kings as one of the NHL’s biggest messes. They gave up a league-high 48 goals through 12 games to start the season and were a dismal 3-8-1 after a 5-4 loss Saturday to the Phoenix Coyotes. Their goaltending was subpar, with Jason LaBarbera not exactly sharp as a tack. Richard Bachman was recalled from the minor leagues and he got the start against the Kings, and nearly earned a victory. The Kings took 48 shots at him, but got only one past him during a 2-1 shootout victory. Here are three things to consider about a game that very nearly got away from the Kings:

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