Los Angeles Kings Waive Mike Richards
- Updated: January 26, 2015
According to Bob Mckenzie of TSN the Los Angeles Kings have place Mike Richards on waivers. Teams will have until noon on Tuesday to claim the player.
LA puts Mike Richards on waivers. Also, NJ puts Tim Sestito on waivers.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) January 26, 2015
NBCSports.com reports the following on Richards:
Richards, 29, has struggled this season and recently saw both his role and minutes decrease, so the decision to put him on waivers won’t come as a huge surprise. What’s stunning, though, is L.A.’s been forced to go this route after opting not to buy out the remainder of Richards’ gargantuan 12-year, $69 million deal during last June’s amnesty window — which would’ve wiped out his $5.75M annual cap hit that goes through 2019. “You’re loathe to ever give up on that kind of player, it’s very difficult to find that special ingredient,” Kings GM Dean Lombardi said last summer, explaining why he held onto Richards. “Even through his negatives this year, who rises to the occasion in the end? Time and again he shows up at critical moments.”
Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com reported that the Kings tried to trade Richards but nothing ever worked out.
Kings had tried to find trade interest for Mike Richards with a few teams over past month (including Toronto and Wpg). Now on waivers! — Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) January 26, 2015
It will be an interesting story to follow, is there a team out there ready to take on the veteran? We will have to wait and see.
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