The Calgary Flames have been struggling at the start of this season and already their hopes of reaching the play-offs appear to be in jeopardy. Could free agent Mike Richards be an option to help turn the tide?
The free agent market isn’t exactly jam-packed with options and the trade table has been noticeably quiet across the whole league. However, there is one intriguing player that is currently a free agent, following his dismissal from the Los Angeles Kings; Mike Richards.
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The center who was drafted 24th overall back in 2003, has been out of work due to the pending status of the legal case surrounding possession of a controlled substance as reported in July by ESPN. Completely ignoring the legal case and looking at him from a purely hockey standpoint, Mike could offer something to the Calgary Flames.
In fact, the Calgary Flames were among the teams that had an interest in the player when the Kings attempted to ship him pre-deadline last year, reported at the time by Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. At the time, the deal seemed to be a case of the Flames taking on a decent cap hit and some prospects without having to give up too much – a deal that favored both teams.
Now, with Richards on the free agent list and likely willing to take a salary cut, is he an option?
His stats showed a downturn last year but prior to that, he’d offered up a pair of forty-plus point seasons and a thirty-plus point year between 2011 and 2014. He also has a pedigree for success, having not only won the Stanley Cup, but Olympic gold as well.
He could provide a stabilizing effect and possibly have some solid experience and knowledge to impart upon the younger members of the Calgary Flames roster. Unfortunately, he has probably tarnished that purely by being investigated – the negative media attention, regardless of the eventual outcome probably doesn’t lend itself to a veteran mentoring role.
He would provide an option on the third or fourth line and he could re-capture previous form would likely be a steal financially. Maybe he’s worth a gamble; if he is though, it is a deal that won’t likely be settled until the legal case is over in early December.
By then, the Calgary Flames could well be completely out of contention, in which case promote a youngster internally and give them a run and explore any new veteran options at trade deadline and free agency next year.
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Should the Calgary Flames re-ignite their interest in Mike Richards? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.