It's a been a rough last few months for Mike Richards, who was released from his contract with the LA Kings after some legal troubles. Everyone was wondering if Richards had the stuff to come back into the league at the age of 30 and make the impact that he was known for during his time with the Flyers and the Kings, the latter which saw him win two Stanley Cups.
"I'm comfortable with myself and who I am," Richards, who signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals last week, said.
Richards has always been a hard-nosed player with a penchant for getting under the opposing teams' skin, and that's what the Capitals hope to find when Richards makes his inevitable debut.
“To me, he’s been in all the battles,… Washington coach Barry Trotz said. “He knows the game within the game. He knows how to have an effect on the game. He knows when the team is going off the rails and needs to get on the rails."
While he's not expected to play on Thursday against Vancouver, Richards has been getting better and better during practice, something that Trotz noticed this week.
“He’s getting better,… Trotz said. “He’s had a couple conditioning skates and he’s getting used to playing with real pros. You can tell he’s got good instincts, quick hands. It’s just getting people leaning on him.…
The Capitals don't need to rush Richards either.
With a 13-point lead in the East, the Capitals are comfortable heading into the All-Star break in a couple weeks, but Trotz wants to get Richards in the lineup before that.
Defensemen Brooks Orpik and John Carlson have both been skating, but there is no timeline for the two just yet. Again, there is no rush since the Caps have been finding different ways to win lately. Richards, like his friend Justin Williams, is 7-0 in Game 7 situations, and that is what the Caps are counting on most come the post-season.
What are your thoughts on Richards? Where should he play when Trotz thinks he's ready to go?