The LA Kings are trying to free up cap space prior to 2015-16 and Mike Richards is one of the top priorities the club needs to address. Whether it’s through a trade or a buy-out, the Kings need to remove Richards’ average cap hit of $5.75 million prior to addressing the other needs on their roster. The most recent update from LA Kings Insider indicates that the effort to trade Richards hasn’t gone well to date, but Richards’ time with the Kings is all but officially over.
Here’s the latest:
I’m getting the strong feeling, through multiple channels, that there hasn’t been any clear movement, and no viable suitors have stepped forward at this time. Similar to the attempt to move the center near the trading deadline, there are simply no proposals that make any sense for the Kings as of this writing. Could that change? Sure, it could change. But don’t expect Richards back next year. He’s likely to be moved, either through a trade (which doesn’t appear to be materializing at this point), or via buy-out.
Unless the Kings are willing to eat a major portion of Richards’ contract (he’ll be paid through 2019-20), it’s unlikely they’ll find too many suitors. The Kings would probably have to include another piece in a Richards deal, assuming no money is involved, just to sweeten things for the team on the receiving end.
The biggest takeaway from the report is that Richards’ time with LA is basically over. The Kings may have to buy him out, but they have no real choice but to move on from the 30-year-old and his contract.
