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Mike Richards Signs One-Year Deal With Washington Capitals

By Ryan Ritchie

Jan 1, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Los Angeles Kings forward Mike Richards (10) shoots the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period at Rogers Arena. The Los Angeles Kings won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Los Angeles Kings forward Mike Richards (10) shoots the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period at Rogers Arena. The Los Angeles Kings won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mike Richards: Signed by Capitals on One-Year Deal

Mike Richards finally signing a deal with an NHL club would make headline news in the hockey world on most days. Unfortunately, the signing was overshadowed by two fairly substantial splashes on the trade market. Richards signed a one-year, $1 million dollar prorated deal to join the Washington Capitals.

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"via NHL.com,Mike Richards met with the NHL earlier Wednesday and has been given clearance to immediately resume his NHL career.Richards, 30, won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014 before his contract was terminated in June for what the Kings termed a material breach of its requirements. Richards faced a charge of possession of a controlled substance while entering Canada.Richards was the 24th pick in the 2003 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. He had an NHL career-high 80 points in 2008-09 and the following season scored a career-high 31 goals. He went to the Kings in June 2011 as part of a trade that sent forwards Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn to the Flyers.Richards has 179 goals and 482 points in 710 regular-season games with the Flyers and Kings. He has 26 goals and 87 points in 124 Stanley Cup Playoff games."

After meeting with commissioner Gary Bettman, permission was granted to resume his NHL career after some legal trouble this past offseason. This coming off two declining seasons in Los Angeles, which saw Richards eventually get demoted to AHL action in 2014-15.

It’s a boom-or-bust type signing. He’s getting a second lease on NHL life, and is hoping for a late resurgence in his career as he looks for a longer, more lucrative deal next summer. If this were to happen, Washington might finally have the ability to explore trade options for Marcus Johansson. The Caps GM said he’d only be comfortable moving Johansson if Andre Burakovsky stepped up as a top six forward. He’s yet to take that step, but, perhaps the Richards addition makes that move possible to add another defender down the stretch (if Richards works out, of course).

On the other hand, recent evidence would suggest Mike Richards has a greater chance of ending up like Alex Semin, or Jarret Stoll. It’s extremely uncommon in today’s NHL for aging veterans to reclaim quality roles once lost. Regardless, the sample size for Richards isn’t likely to be large enough to make proper judgement that would make a GM comfortable handing out a lengthy contract. Don’t be surprised if he’s forced to sign another cheap one-year deal, and is forced to prove himself, similarly to what Brad Richards was faced with in Chicago in 2014-15.

Next: Flyers Trade Vincent Lecavalier & Luke Schenn to LA

After a long bumpy ride, Mike Richards is finally set to see NHL action for the first time in 2015-16. We wish him all the best in his comeback attempt, and hopefully his playoff experience is put to good use in a year where the Washington Capitals are among Stanley Cup favorites.

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