[News] Mike Richards on waivers - CLEARS

[Coach]

Wouldn't mind Richards if we can move out Stajan.

I like Stajan, but Richards is an upgrade, even with his salary.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by HOWITZER

Wait, forgive my lack of contact knowledge, but I thought if you claim someone off waivers the other team takes on half the cap hit? So wouldn't Richards only cost 2.875m per year?

No, that's not right. The claiming team is responsible for the entire contract from the time the player is claimed. Any team wanting LA to retain salary would have to work out a trade.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by MacFlame

It was still odd...

Why is it odd? When you have 6 healthy defensemen and two of those are Engelland and Diaz, you call up a guy. Wotherspoon only went back to Addy because of the All Star Break.

[Ashasx]

If Stajan had played as many game as Richards this season, his pace suggests he'd only have 2 less points.

[Karl Racki]

I assume the idea would be we take on Richards and an asset from LA for next to nothing, then trade Richards retaining % of cap hit to another team that wants him at less than full cap hit. We then obtain assets from 2 teams simply to take on cap hit. Richards never plays a game for us in that scenario.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Karl Racki

I assume the idea would be we take on Richards and an asset from LA for next to nothing, then trade Richards retaining % of cap hit to another team that wants him at less than full cap hit. We then obtain assets from 2 teams simply to take on cap hit. Richards never plays a game for us in that scenario.

If we are retaining salary for 5+ seasons, I'd want more than a 1st round pick in return.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I imagine the Kings wish they had used the compliance buyout when they had the chance. Much more of a mistake not going that route than trading for him in the first place. He helped them win in 2012, but not going with the amnesty this offseason was an obvious mistake.

[FlamesAddiction]

Someone will pick him up.

Curious though, he is only 29 but dropped off quite a bit. Usually when something like that happens at a relatively young age, there are either injury problems, off-ice issues, the player was simply not that good to begin with (inflated stats due to teammates), or they are Jeff Friesen. I wonder what the problem is with Richards.

I would be willing to give him a shot with the Flames, but of course, I don't pay the bills.

[Otto-matic]

Pierre LeBrun ‏@Real_ESPNLeBrun1m1 minute ago
Leafs source says they will NOT put in a claim on Mike Richards in case people are wondering

[foshizzle11]

I say no to claiming him. I think he will clear because his contract is terrible and too long. No way the Flames should take a stab at this unless they can get a trade in place, like someone else mentioned where we retain salary and get some assets in return, draft picks or prospects and he never plays for us.

[TheSpecialist]

The Flames being interested in Richards makes a lot of sense. Not only are they gonna make a run to make the playoffs, they are probably looking for a vet to properly mentor Sam Bennett who is supposed to have a little bit of Mike Richards and Jonathan Toews in him.

[MacFlame]

Originally Posted by devo22

Why is it odd? When you have 6 healthy defensemen and two of those are Engelland and Diaz, you call up a guy. Wotherspoon only went back to Addy because of the All Star Break.

Hartley has seemed to be quite comfortable with Diaz as a #5/#6 in the past and Wotherspoon isn't someone you want sitting in the pressbox. If history was to repeat itself, Diaz would play and someone (likely Potter) would be called up to sit in the press box.

Just my opinion, but I think something maybe was/is up...not necessarily directly with the Kings though.

[opendoor]

For such a successful team LA sure has some awful contracts on their books. Richards has been covered, but Brown's is looking pretty ugly too. 7 more years after this one at just under $6M for a 30 year old who has scored at a sub 30 point pace over the last season and a half.

[Karl Racki]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

If we are retaining salary for 5+ seasons, I'd want more than a 1st round pick in return.

Would be nice obviously, but remember we get an asset from LA AND an asset from the team we ultimately trade Richards to. Even if we retained 50% salary, that's only 2.9M-ish per year which I think is manageable and for two good assets, a price I think I would be willing to pay personally. Would not do it for Hanowski/Agostino types assets, would need to be a REAL prospect/player from each side.

[Finger Cookin]

No one's going to claim that salary straight up.

[Locke]

I'm torn. I'm a huge fan and I'd love him on the team, but he doesnt really fit right now. It'd be a bit of a slap in the face to some kids who I think earned spots but the spots just arent there, it seems wrong to add an expensive veteran centre at their expense.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

If Stajan had played as many game as Richards this season, his pace suggests he'd only have 2 less points.

Points aren't everything. Richards is only a couple years removed from being a top-level two-way centreman, and a couple years younger. If Stajan can improve on his first 3 years of terrible (which he did), I don't see why Richards can't.

Concern about the cap is understandable, but don't see it as that buig of an issue with contracts like Hiller and Jones expiring the same time as Gaudreau and Monahan become RFAs, and Raymond (hopefully bought out or traded) Engelland, and Stajan (could be traded), the year after. It may not be the hinderance some think.

[Karl]

Mike Richards is so not the really good player he used to be in Philly. Guy is in decline. Don't see him recovering that previous form either.

At this point he's still an okay player but little more than that. And going by how he's looking as a player these days, he's not even much of an on-ice upgrade on Stajan at all, and that $5.75M cap hit until 2020. Yikes!

Wouldn't be too surprised if Flames somehow got him if he'd only be the 4th line centre on this team right now too playing 8-11 min a game.

I'd rather not.

[Phaneufenstein]

If rumours about potential Calgary - LA trade are true, I would think they wanted Wideman to replace Voynov's puck-moving ability.

[-TC-]

I'm in the no camp...it's a lot of term and cap space for a team that may not be contenders today but have a decent crop of minor leaguers, picks and cap flexibility.