Honestly, I remember 3-4 seasons ago when Sutter had Stajan playing on our 4th line, everyone including me hated that man (except maybe HLM). He was useless, had no skill, wasn't a good playmaker, wasn't physical enough for a bottom 6 role, wasn't skilled enough for a top 6 role, but he battled through and is still here. Hartley showed confidence in him and put him in a leadership role on our team, he was reborn. Stajan to this day knows his role and I learned my lesson about him. He can play anywhere in your lineup, he can play with an Iginla or Sundin, or he can play with a Bollig, but you can't expect him to produce big numbers on your 4th.
Look at LA's depth, the only guy Richards should be outplaying right now is Stoll, but even he's a very good 3rd liner. Like Stajan I think Richards would have something to prove here and would think he would be relied upon heavily. Yes it's a risk, but he would be a great guy to have around the kids. He would also look pretty damn good hoisting the Cup with Iggy in a few years time