Maybe it has to do with the long term status of Jarret Stoll. Maybe it has to do with the lack of spark from several key players on the team. It looks like Lombardi might be playing one of his last cards in attempting to make the postseason.
It was originally reported by Friedman of HNIC that a call up was being considered.
Hearing LA considering activating Mike Richards for upcoming road trip...we will see if he joins team in New Jersey
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 22, 2015Friend of the blog and Mayor's Manor reporter, Andy Tonge, had this to add:
Building on @FriedgeHNIC report, I was told decision could go either way as to where Richards goes.
— Andy Tonge (@AndyTonge1) March 22, 2015Kings have kept their options open with Richards. Eligible for AHL playoffs, but if they want him in the NHL, now is the time to do so.
— Andy Tonge (@AndyTonge1) March 22, 2015Jon Rosen of LAKI later made it official.
Kings make Richards recall press release-offish. No corresponding move.
— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) March 22, 2015Kings start a pivotal East coast road trip that will take them to New Jersey and New York before heading to Minnesota and Chicago. While the Devils are not a playoff contender, the Islanders, Rangers, Blackhawks and Wild are very talented teams that all look playoff bound at this point. If you wanted a measuring stick road trip, this is it.
The move could be indicative of a few things. One is the health of Jarret Stoll, who has been dealing with an upper body injury suffered during the Vancouver game back on March 12th. While the injury has remained undisclosed, it sounds like a concussion.
Maybe this is also a sign that Lombardi and/or Sutter are not exactly pleased with the current makeup of the roster.
Before Richards was demoted to the AHL, he was primarily skating on the 4th line alongside Nolan and Clifford. As of late, the Kings 4th line has looked much much better. Andreoff, Clifford, and Shore have been very serviceable as a bottom line option, but the third line has looked out sorts. A mashup of Nolan, Lewis, and Justin Williams has been somewhat questionable at times. It has also taken Lewis off of the top line due to the lack of centers. Lewis was playing very well alongside Gaborik and Kopitar, but the top line have gone cold as of late with Dustin Brown. Overall the center depth has been challenged with Stoll coming out of the lineup, and Richards would be a fairly natural fit coming back.
Perhaps it would also be a spark to the locker room and team morale. Kings are behind the 8-ball here heading into the final games of the season. The Kings have an exceptionally difficult stretch of game coming up. The Kings play eight of their final 11 games on the road, a place where they have struggled. They also play six playoff bound teams, and two teams in the Sharks and Avalanche who are still fighting with a realistic shot of getting in.
An emotional move? A spark? A practical personnel move?
With yesterday's loss to the Canucks, the Kings now sit two back of Calgary and four back of Winnipeg and Vancouver.
Richards had played 16 games with the Monarchs, scoring three goals and 11 assists with a plus-six rating. He returned last week to Los Angeles to undergo some baseline testing on his fitness at Toyota Sports Center.
While Richards was not a bad player with Los Angeles by any stretch, his contract was destroying the Kings maneuverability at a time when they needed the money. Something had to give, and even though Richards had similar, if not better numbers, to Jarret Stoll, he was the practical financial move. With money being out the window by this point, it is time to see if his run in the AHL has inspired No. 10. He looked lost and somewhat defeated mentally in the final games before his demotion. However, looking at a group of centers that currently runs as Kopitar, Carter, Lewis, and Shore, this move had to happen at some point.
The Kings will play New Jersey tomorrow evening at The Rock.
Follow me on twitter for news and notes about the Kings and the NHL
++++I AM CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR ADVERTISERS! If you, or anyone you know would be interested in placing an ad on the blog here at HockeyBuzz then send me a PM!+++++