Kings GM Dean Lombardi talks about placing Mike Richards on waivers

Here’s part of a question-and-answer session between Kings beat writers and general manager Dean Lombardi on Monday afternoon …

Question: How did it get to this point?

Lombardi: “It’s a process you work through. It’s not like all of a sudden it dawns on you. You’re starting to think about and you work through the process. I think it’s fair to say we made a final decision that we were one way our another deal with it after the All-Star break.”

Question: How did he take it?

Lombardi: “You can ask him. The process isn’t done because he’s still got to clear. I’ll probably talk to him a little more tomorrow. I’m sure it’s not easy on anybody. These are the tough decisions you’ve got to make.”

Question: You could have bought him out last spring, did you hope that would get him going?

Lombardi: “It was a combination of that and I think it’s … we expect loyalty from our players and it’s a two-way street. I think under the circumstance and what he’d done for us, I thought he deserved a chance to get back to what he’s capable of. That’s a hard balance. Obviously, I’ve thought about that a lot. There’s a new wave thing out there that players are commodities and passion and loyalty, those values made sports so special, the commodities guys will tell you that don’t matter. Well, that’s been a big part of the success of this team, I believe. And that’s how I came down on it. If you’re going to expect loyalty from your players, you have to at times show loyalty to them. Then the issue becomes, where’s that line.

“So, when I step back now, I’m never going to lose my belief in those values being critical, but as we see in the cap area … the cap is designed to eliminate those types of emotions. Fortunately, I still believe they’re a critical part of a good team. In retrospect, if you the commodities angle, you say, well, it should have been easy. If you use the belief in the intangibles it’s not. It is what it is. In the end, I felt he deserved that chance for all he’d done for us. I mean, I don’t think there’s any question that we don’t win that first Cup without what he did for this team. Obviously, you don’t win the second one. But you’ve still got to be at a certain level here that has to get done.”

Question: What about the financial standpoint  …

Lombardi: “That’s what we’ve got to work through. Mike in his career, he’s shown he can be a .300 hitter and get you 80 RBIs and be an All-Star player. So, maybe at this stage, it’s not there. I still think he’s capable of being a .280 hitter and do a lot of those things for you that only he can do. Let’s face it, right now, he’s batting .200. But I don’t see any reason why he can’t get back to that. He’s got to do what he’s got to do. There’s a lot of things that remind me of where Teemu Selanne was at this stage. Remember when he had fallen off the map in Colorado and it looked like he was done? Then he started changing some things and went on to have 10 great years, for crying out loud. It’s up to Mike. In my mind, I believe if he wants to, he can get back to that. I see no reason why not. But it’s going to be up to him.”

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

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.

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L.A. Kings assign Nick Shore, J.F. Berube to Manchester of AHL

The Kings on Thursday assigned forward Nick Shore and goalie J.F. Berube to their American Hockey League team in Manchester, N.H. Shore made his NHL debut Saturday against the Ducks and recorded his first point, an assist, Wednesday against the Sharks. Berube has yet to play in his first NHL game. He was selected recently to play in the AHL All-Star game.

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L.A. Kings center Anze Kopitar has an All-Star break message for the team

Here’s what Kings center and leading scorer Anze Kopitar told reporters after the team went into the All-Star break with a 4-2 loss Wednesday to the San Jose Sharks that left them in ninth place in the Western Conference (and out of a playoff spot) with a 20-15-12 record: “We’re disappointed in where we are in the standings right now. “We have to take the next few days to figure that out. It’s time to play desperate coming out of the break.”

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One more thing about the Kings loss to the Sharks

The Kings gave up two power-play goals to the San Jose Sharks in three shorthanded situations during a 4-2 loss Wednesday at the SAP Center, continuing a troubling trend going into the All-Star break. The Kings’ penalty-killing unit is 25th in the 30-team NHL at the break with a lackluster 77.8 percent success rate. For a team that prides itself on hard work and a blue-collar attitude, that’s truly hard to believe. Penalty-killing is often about goaltending, as Kings coach Darryl Sutter will tell you, but it’s also about hustle and desire and also staying out of the penalty box. The Kings average 10.4 penalty minutes per game, ranking as the 12th-most penalized team in the league, and that’s a problem if their PK is not good enough.

“We have to do a better job in certain areas,” Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr told reporters Wednesday. “Tonight, the penalty kill, you can’t afford to give up two power-play goals against and really expect to win too many games, especially on he road. It’s a tough hole to dig yourselves out of when that happens.”

 

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L.A. Kings loan defenseman Jeff Schultz to Manchester of the AHL

With defenseman Robyn Regehr back in the lineup after a 12-game absence because of a broken finger, the Kings decided Wednesday to loan Jeff Schultz to their American Hockey League team in Manchester, N.H. Schultz suddenly was the odd-man out in the Kings’ defense corps after Regher returned Monday. He played nine games for the Kings and had one assist. He also played in 26 games earlier this season with Manchester and recorded three goals and six assists.

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One more thing about the Kings’ overtime loss to the Flames

There’s been a great deal of talk about the Kings’ lack of consistency this season, and granted some of it has been typed into yours truly’s keyboard. But consider this: since the Kings’ six-game early-season winning streak (all at Staples Center, by the way) improved the team’s record to 6-1-1, the club is 14-13-11. That’s a fairly pedestrian record that includes a 2-1 overtime loss Monday to the Calgary Flames.

The Kings have lost eight consecutive games in overtime or a shootout.

So, maybe this is who they are right now: a middle-of-the-pack team.

 

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Robyn Regehr talks about his return to the L.A. Kings lineup

Defenseman Robyn Regehr sat out for 12 games after breaking a finger during the Kings’ victory Dec. 18 over the St. Louis Blues. His return to the lineup Monday was welcomed by the Kings, but it wasn’t exactly a winning reunion. The Kings suffered a 2-1 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames. Regehr couldn’t make it through the opening shift of the game without getting hurt. He deflected a puck into his lip and was forced to the dressing room for immediate repairs.

“It felt really good to get back out on the ice again,” Regehr said after he played 18:26, recorded a team-leading seven hits and was on the ice for both of the Flames’ goals. “It’s never fun when you’re injured and have to watch the games from the stands or underneath (in the dressing room). As players, we want to be out there playing and trying to help the team win and also be involved with the teammates. So, it felt really nice to be doing that again.

“There was a little bit of a transition there for me. I had a rough start in the first shift, with deflecting the puck into my lip, but I managed to get back into the game a little after that.”

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L.A. Kings activate Robyn Regehr and place Martin Jones on IR

The Kings on Monday activated defenseman Robyn Regehr (broken hand) from injured reserve and placed goaltender Martin Jones (back spasms) on IR. Regehr is expected to play in Monday’s game against the Calgary Flames. Regehr skated with Alec Martinez during the Kings’ morning skate in El Segundo. Jones’ place as backup to Jonathan Quick will be filled by J.F. Berube.

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