Struggling center Mike Richards has cleared waivers and been assigned the Kings AHL affiliate, the Kings announced Tuesday.
Richards was placed on waivers Monday and the move was instantly scrutinized. A veteran with a sizable contract, Lombardi tried to trade Richards but talks never materialized. During Tuesday's practice, he was not on the ice at the Toyota Center, instead on his way to Manchester, giving the dressing room a little different feel.
"It's tough, obviously, because we have a pretty close team here," said center Jeff Carter, Richards' former teammate in Philadelphia. "Anytime anybody leaves, it's always tough. We understand that these things happen and he brought a lot to this room. Things that, unless you're in this room, you don't see, so it was tough. It's tough on him too."
It's been Richards' worst season of his career. Through 47 games, he's scored only five goals, assisted on 10 and is a minus-7 with 39 penalty minutes. Richards was once one of the best two-way centers in the league, nearly winning the Selke with the Flyers in 2009, but in the last few seasons, he's found himself relegated to mostly fourth-line duties.
Richards' production has steeply declined since he joined the Kings before the 2010-2011 season. General manager Dean Lombardi ran out of patience and made the decision to waive him following the All-Star break.
The Kings are hoping that Richards can benefit from his time in the AHL.
"We understand that it happens and that's the way it goes, but you don't want to see anybody like him go," Carter said. "I think he's alright. Obviously, nobody wants to get sent down. That's the shitty part of the game. I think he's handled it well. He's been around a long time and he knows how it works, so we'll probably see him here again soon."
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Center Nick Shore was assigned to Manchester over the break, but is now back in Los Angeles. Through three NHL games, he has a point and two penalty minutes. Shore could see increased time in Richards' absence.
"It's an opportunity for someone else to step up and for some younger guys to play a little more," Carter said.
Twinning
Despite the fact that the Kings bested the Anaheim Ducks in the playoffs last season, they're struggling to keep up with their Freeway Faceoff rivals in the regular season. Barring an epic collapse, the Ducks will lock up a playoff spot. The Kings can't say the same.
The anchor for the league-leading Ducks is their top line tandem of center Ryan Getzlaf and right winger Corey Perry, otherwise known as "The Twins". Kings' coach Darryl Sutter wants his own top-liners in center Anze Kopitar and winger Marian Gaborik, to be the Kings' twins.
"Just look at the team that's leading the division and that's been leading the league off-and-on when those two players are healthy," Sutter said. "Kopi has to be our Getzlaf, and Gabby's got to be our Perry."
It's not out of the realm of possibility for Kopitar and Gaborik to become a pair as dangerous as those two, but those two have been playing on a line for only a year while the Twins have been playing alongside one another since the minors.
Sutter said the decision to put someone on the line is easier when you have two players that play as well as Getzlaf and Perry do with each other.
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"What are they asking Bruce Boudreau today? 'Who's playing with Getzlaf and Perry?' Whoever's performing," Sutter said. "Pretty logical, just not easy to figure out. We've been doing it shift-by-shift, not game-by-game or practice-by-practice."
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Toffoli to make return
Tyler Toffoli (mono) has been cleared by the doctors and the coaches to return to action, Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. He practiced in full with the team Tuesday and also was able to get on the ice before the break.
"I did some battle drills today and was trying to push myself more than I usually do the day before a game," he said. "Just trying to get my legs under me, it's been a long couple of weeks here."
This will be Toffoli's first game without linemate Tanner Pearson as Pearson broke his leg the first game that Toffoli sat out. Jeff Carter was moved back to his natural second line center position and will skate alongside Toffoli and Dwight King, giving "That 70's Line" a new look.
