So pretty much every Flyers fan knows by now that Mike Richards was waived, unclaimed, then sent down to the AHL by the LA Kings. There's not all that much to say about it, although just a few comments.
First, it is pretty stunning how quickly Richards has fallen. The guy hasn't even turned 30 yet. It's not that long ago he was in his early 20s and putting up point-per-game seasons in Philadelphia.
Second, I'm not shocked the Kings did this now. The Kings were *this* close to buying him out in the offseason, and apparently Richards pleaded with the Kings GM not to do it. After a few chats, Richards was not bought out and he promised to improve his conditioning. Accounts are that he successfully did that, but it didn't lead to results on the ice. That faith by the Kings has now turned into a pretty big failure, as the opportunity for a cap free buyout is gone forever, and the Kings sent him down to the minors to save a measly $925k off the cap. Viewed differently, the Kings are paying him $4.825 not to play for the big club.
Third, does this mean the Flyers "won" the trade? I don't think that's the right question to ask. From the Kings perspective, they won two cups with Richards on the roster, and he was fairly productive for them in the playoffs (27 points in 35 playoff games the first two playoff runs). Really the important question for the Flyers (and moreso for their fans), is would you do the trade all over again? The answer to that is an easy yes.
Opinions on NHL topics of the moment, but mostly on the Flyers.
