Mike Richards III (Cleared waivers 1/27/15)

[Raccoon Jesus]

God damnit, this was almost off the page!

 

[Reclamation Project]

"And up on our right is the city dump currently ablaze. Catty corner to it is Part 4 of this thread!"

 

[Little Psycho]

God damnit, this was almost off the page!

 

[damacles1156]

The Richards thread, the gift that keeps on giving.

Honestly I would rather have Richards playing 3C right now over Stoll.

Or anyone really, I would take Jordan Weal over Stoll right now.

 

[funky]

I am all for trading Stoll and Greene and bringing up Richards.
Use part of the assets to get Polak, and recoup picks.

I think both would return more then they should.

Doughty Sekera
Martinez Regehr
Polak Muzzin
McNabb

Richards --> Stoll
Polak ---> Greene

Small improvement and rid of two penalty hounds, gets Richards up after a kick in the butt. See what he can do the last couple months. Easier to trade a NHLer then a AHLer

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

Mike Richards needs to pay up for the top trainers (mental, physical, nutritional) in the field. If Dubnyk can revitalize his career with new goaltending coaches, willingness to adjust and the latest eye tracking technology and Tom Brady can stay at the top of his game at 37, 38 with minimal injuries, Richards has a chance to get back to the necessary quality play.

I HIGHLY recommend this article about Tom Brady and the method of training he and his friend (who has a master's in Chinese medicine) use.. It's long, so I would skim it until you get to the pertinent parts.

 

[Reaper45]

I really hope the Kings trade Richards to the Leafs. Just to be able to see the mass suicide of Leafs fans.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

God damnit, this was almost off the page!

Just give me the green light and I'll start hundreds of random threads.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Fans on this board are still calling for Richards' to come back....hilarious.

 

[funky]

Fans on this board are still calling for Richards' to come back....hilarious.

Ya, I for one am. Skill still wins and he has way more then Stoll even before he was sent down.

All I would expect is for Richards to play well enough to out produce Stoll. Stoll does two things better then Richards, win face offs and throw his body more. He also has a cheaper contract.

Stoll also takes a boatload of needless penalties, is an offensive black hole, horrid on defensive assignments and is slowing down.

Basically Stoll isn't what he used to be, Richards isn't what he used to be, but Richards is still what Stoll used to be but on a What Richards used to be contract. Obviously Richards needs to work way harder on conditioning and now he knows he can't float on past success. With the season winding down I thing Richards can be squeezed under the cap, especially if Stoll is traded. Hopefully he returns hungry and shows he still has what it takes to be a useful player, it's the only way he will have any trade value in the future.

I still think some team will cream themselves to get Stoll and pay heavy to do so.

 

[Reclamation Project]

I really hope the Kings trade Richards to the Leafs. Just to be able to see the mass suicide of Leafs fans.

The Mecca Of Delusion.

 

[Trolfoli]

Don't think this is the correct time to call Richards up. He is playing well with the Monarchs and the Kings are really struggling. It would suck to see his development set back by being thrown on a team that isn't playing well.

TO... man... It's like if the Oiler fans thought their team was one of the best in the league.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

@JSportsnet: On the topic of expanded rosters, don't rule out the return of Mike Richards to the Kings.

 

[Reclamation Project]

don't think this is the correct time to call richards up. He is playing well with the monarchs and the kings are really struggling. it would suck to see his development set back by being thrown on a team that isn't playing well.

To... Man... It's like if the oiler fans thought their team was one of the best in the league.

8-2-0

 

[Herby]

Ya, I for one am. Skill still wins and he has way more then Stoll even before he was sent down.

All I would expect is for Richards to play well enough to out produce Stoll. Stoll does two things better then Richards, win face offs and throw his body more. He also has a cheaper contract.

Stoll also takes a boatload of needless penalties, is an offensive black hole, horrid on defensive assignments and is slowing down.

Basically Stoll isn't what he used to be, Richards isn't what he used to be, but Richards is still what Stoll used to be but on a What Richards used to be contract. Obviously Richards needs to work way harder on conditioning and now he knows he can't float on past success. With the season winding down I thing Richards can be squeezed under the cap, especially if Stoll is traded. Hopefully he returns hungry and shows he still has what it takes to be a useful player, it's the only way he will have any trade value in the future.

I still think some team will cream themselves to get Stoll and pay heavy to do so.

It amazes me that people want to not only bring Richards back but promote him from the fourth line spot that he struggled with before to a more defensive oriented spot on the third line, it truly is amazing. Funky, did you completely forget what a disaster he was defensively? Remember "Not in the mood to check"? And lets not pretend that he was doing anything offensively either, he was an offensive black hole too.

 

[Trolfoli]

8-2-0

I know... just 3 goals in the last 3 games.... one being a double deflection that Williams ended up with and one each from Lewis/McNabb... Where the **** did the offense go?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

It amazes me that people want to not only bring Richards back but promote him from the fourth line spot that he struggled with before to a more defensive oriented spot on the third line, it truly is amazing. Funky, did you completely forget what a disaster he was defensively? Remember "Not in the mood to check"? And lets not pretend that he was doing anything offensively either, he was an offensive black hole too.

I'd be curious to know what his physical/checking/defensive game is like with the Monarchs. Just like his potential issues were probably ignored/buried when the whole roster was performing here (vs. how magnified they are when we're struggling), I'd imagine that's sort of the case in manchester, too.

 

[funky]

I'd be curious to know what his physical/checking/defensive game is like with the Monarchs. Just like his potential issues were probably ignored/buried when the whole roster was performing here (vs. how magnified they are when we're struggling), I'd imagine that's sort of the case in manchester, too.

This is true, inwouldnlike to hear an update.

And Herby, ya he was a mess the last few years but it was not always that way. The guy used to be smart and tenacious. He was lethal with Carter short handed. You don't just forget how you can however not be bothered to do it.

I am thinking Richie is getting a kick in the butt, wake up call, time to get his conditioning plan in gear. I still don't think a player with that talent can fall off that fast, something happened, ya I know 110 different rumors as to why. He is not a pylon like Heatley or Cheechoo or an offence only O'Sullivan. The guy had mad skills and drive, that doesn't just stop. It's been a year since he slipped, people write off 2 seasons but he carried the team a stretch early last year so it's been the last half of last year and the first half of this year.

No matter what we are stuck with him, no one will take on that contract for an AHL player. We can't buy him out this summer as the cap hit for 10 years puts us way behind. Worst case scenario is buying him out the summer after to fiit in Kopitar.

I just don't buy he's done, if it is a career floater ya, but not a career warrior, but I guess I am a glass half full guy

 

[Herby]

This is true, inwouldnlike to hear an update.

And Herby, ya he was a mess the last few years but it was not always that way. The guy used to be smart and tenacious. He was lethal with Carter short handed. You don't just forget how you can however not be bothered to do it.

See that is the issue, you are basing him as a player off of how he looked years ago and not how he looks in the present. When was the last time Mike Richards did anything lethal while short handed?

Was he at one point a great player like you described? Absolutely. But it is 2015 and right now he is an AHL player who couldn't hack it in the NHL as a fourth line center.

 

[Trolfoli]

See that is the issue, you are basing him as a player off of how he looked years ago and not how he looks in the present. When was the last time Mike Richards did anything lethal while short handed?

Was he at one point a great player like you described? Absolutely. But it is 2015 and right now he is an AHL player who couldn't hack it in the NHL as a fourth line center.

If we applied the same reasoning to the rest of the team Brown/Stoll/Williams should all be gone/bought out.

Edit: Well Brown is the only issue, because Stoll/Williams will be gone after this year.

 

[Herby]

If we applied the same reasoning to the rest of the team Brown/Stoll/Williams should all be gone/bought out.

Brown and Williams have been nowhere close to as bad as Richards. Williams won the Conn Smythe 8 months ago for God's sake.

Stoll is terrible, no question, but still much better suited for his current role than Richards would be.

 

[Trolfoli]

Brown and Williams have been nowhere close to as bad as Richards. Williams won the Conn Smythe 8 months ago for God's sake.

Stoll is terrible, no question, but still much better suited for his current role than Richards would be.

Wait... did you just argue that Williams is better because of last season? You do remember the 2 short handed goals Williams was responsible for in last years playoffs?

You are Right on Stoll.... there is no reason to put a player who can pass with any combination of Lewis/Brown/Williams. Stoll is much better suited for that role.

 

[CowMix]

Crazy how some of you want to replace Stoll with Richards. Stoll can still play a physical defensive game that Richards cannot.

Richards was getting manhandled by third and fourth lines in our end.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Both stink.

 

[Trolfoli]

Both stink.

There you have it. The debate has been settled....