In the wake of any Oiler news we are left with nothing but speculation about what final, last minute, touches the team is going to make before camp starts. The likelihood of a major trade is low, but you never know. We are, though, in the part of the season where PTOs are getting signed. Edmonton needs puck moving defenders and depth up front is never a bad thing.
There are times when people hear things that they can’t report outright. During those times the stock way of getting the conversation started is to simply ask a question about it. Would the Oilers move Hall? Will the Oilers shake up their front office? Questions like that can be a way a writer covers the fact that they are hearing Hall is actually on the outs with management or that they know Scott Howson will be canned even though they were told not to write it.
So when you start to see the same question popping up – the same name appearing, then you have to raise an eyebrow. It could be the fact that it’s late into summer and we’re all struggling to have anything else to say. However, we are seeing Mike Richards’ name a lot right now. There’s nothing out there that says “Richards is coming to Edmonton”. Nothing. However, it was mentioned briefly
here by Jason Gregor as a possibility. It was mentioned today very fleetingly by Bob Stauffer that Richards should look at a place like Edmonton for an opportunity. And, Jim Matheson mentioned it here.
Is that enough to say that Richards is coming to Edmonton on a PTO? No. Not at all. But you can wonder why in such a short time frame the same question is being asked by Edmonton’s premiere sports journalists. Could be nothing. Probably nothing…but let’s talk about Mike Richards anyway.
Mike Richards, once upon a time, was a pretty damned good hockey player. His effectiveness, especially offensively, has fallen off a cliff. He’s only 31 years old but you’d think that he’s been in consistent decline for the last 6 years. He’s gone from roughly 0.8 points per game to 0.13 points per game in six seasons. It’s hard not to draw a link between his personal health/legal crisis and his plummeting numbers, and without knowing all the details that’s exactly what the public is left as the perception of Richards’ career.
Only several years removed from being considered a top 2-way center in this league, the former Flyer and King star is now left at the mercy of whichever NHL club is willing to give him a Professional Tryout. Is Edmonton going to be that team? Given the position Richards is in, the cost isn’t going to be the problem. The questions are:
1) Can he still play?
2) Is he a fit?
Last year Richards played 39 games with the Washington Capitals in the regular season and another 12 in the postseason. Combined he produced exactly 5 points, none in the postseason where he was playing the least of any Capital forward. While the game was 5v5 Richards produced 0.80 points per 60 minutes – the lowest of any forward on the Capitals (still higher than Hendricks, Letestu, and Lander though).
As far as shot attempt percentage, Richards fared pretty well. He was 5th among Cap forwards and that’s while playing with Tom Wilson as one of his most common linemates. Wilson appears to have been a shot attempt anchor much in the way Korpikoski was for the Oilers last year. Richards finished with a 51.9% Corsi For percentage last year. With Wilson that dropped to 48.4% and without him it jumped all the way to 54.6%. What I’m getting at is that there’s at least some proof that even though his offense died he might still be useful in a bottom 6 capacity. Also, given his on-ice shooting percentage was about half of normal, there’s a chance his next team will see more offense out of him.
But does it make any sense for him to play in Edmonton? Maybe.
Edmonton has four solid centermen right now. McDavid clearly number one, Letestu clearly number four, Nuge and Draisaitl in between. The need for another lefty in Richards seems low, but there aren’t many options from the farm that are banging down the door. There isnt someone established who can even slide over and be expected to do a reasonably good job in event of injury. On this roster it’s probably Hendricks.
Should the Oilers opt to play Draisaitl on the wing then the team is back to playing short a quality center. There just isnt that much flexibility in the roster. After the 4 NHL pivots we find ourselves right at Lander and Khaira. It’s a steep cliff.
There is one final reason why a Richards PTO might make a lot of sense. When camp starts the Oilers are going to have McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, and Draisaitl all playing in the World Cup of Hockey. Edmonton is going to have a distinct need for middlemen this September. Anybody trying to make an impression is going to be centering lines with Lucic, Eberle, Pouliot, Yak, Maroon, and Puljujarvi. Even if Edmonton doesn’t see something by the end of camp, it might be enough for some other club.
Mike Richards on a PTO? Nothing but a few people asking questions about it. Probably doesn’t mean anything.
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