Mike Richards wants to extend his unlikely comeback next season.
“I plan to play hockey next year. So, it will just be what is the best fit for me,” Richards told Ryan Young of Kenora Online.”
Richards’ career features past highs and recent lows. He’s got an impressive resume. He was a 30-goal scorer with the Philadelphia Flyers, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Los Angeles Kings and 2010 Olympic Gold medalist with team Canada.
Since joining Los Angeles, his career has been on the decline. He scored five times in 2014-15 and played in the AHL that season. In the offseason, the Kings terminated his contract after he was arrested for possession of oxycodone (the charges have since been stayed). After reaching a settlement with the Kings, he signed a one-year deal with the Capitals for the 2015-16 season. His performance didn’t get better as he found the net twice in 39 games, accumulating just five points.
Richards admitted himself his performance wasn’t up to snuff.
“It was a little bit of an up-and-down season,” he said. “I probably expected it to go a little more offensively, but it’s not easy to just jump in midseason. Live and learn and hopefully I can get a full season under my belt this year.”
Would teams be interested in Richards? Despite not reaching more than 12 goals in the past four seasons, I’m inclined to believe some will be, strictly due to his past resume. Richards won’t ever be a 30-goal scorer again, but at the very least he could still be an effective depth player. On a one-year deal around the minimum or a PTO, it’s an intriguing gamble – but one that’s unlikely to pay off. Richards’ best days on the ice are long gone.
[theScore]
