Around the Rink: Embattled Mike Richards Getting Ready for NHL Return

Mike Richards, the former Los Angeles King whose offseason included an arrest for illegal possession of a controlled substance that caused the Kings to terminate his contract, is back skating most every day with his former junior team and hopeful of a return to the NHL soon.

Pat Morris, the agent for the two-time Stanley Cup-winning center, told Bleacher Report as much on Monday. While Richards, 30, still has a court hearing slated for Dec. 8 on charges of possession of a prescription pain-killer that is barred throughout much of Canada, he is free to do things such as skate most days with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, his former team.

Richards has refused all national media requests since his arrest in Emerson, Manitoba, in June, but he did recently grant an interview to Josh Brown, who covers the Rangers for the Waterloo Region Record.

"Obviously it has been stressful," Richards said. "Everyone says different things but I know who my family and friends are and that's all that really matters, having their support. You can't do anything about it now but push forward and look toward the future and try to learn from your mistakes."

Richards told the newspaper that he is healthy, feeling good and wants to prove he can help a team win again.

"I don't think it's about having anything to prove but more that burning desire to continue to have success," Richards said. "Winning those Stanley Cups were probably the best times of my life. I think that's what pushes me and keeps me going … to try and do that again."

Richards and the Kings/NHL reached a settlement last month on his contract that had five years and $22 million remaining before the arrest.

The Kings initially tried to terminate the full contract, but the NHLPA filed a grievance, leading to a settlement that Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported as $10.5 million through the 2031-32 season that includes a $3.12 million cap hit to the Kings this season.

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Assuming Richards isn't detained by the law, where might he end up as a player?

Keep an eye on San Jose. Richards played for Kitchener from 2001-05, all under current Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer. San Jose could use a good depth checking center, and how spicy would that make the already-hot rivalry between the Sharks and Kings?

With Kings general manager Dean Lombardi having publicly disparaged Richards' play and character in a letter to the Los Angeles Times last month, Richards no doubt would make for a highly motivated Sharks player should he sign there.

Lundqvist, Holtby Dominating

It's starting to look like a two-horse race between the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist and Washington's Braden Holtby for this season's Vezina Trophy.

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Both netminders posted shutouts on Monday night, entering Tuesday tied for the league lead in victories (12). They are first and second in the league in goals-against average (Lundqvist at 1.74, Holtby at 1.88), with Lundqvist having the edge in save percentage (.946 to .926).

Lundqvist's victory on Monday was the 351st of his career, all with the Rangers. He tied Terry Sawchuk's mark for the most wins with one team, with Martin Brodeur (688 with New Jersey) and Tony Esposito (418 with Chicago) ahead of him.

Hurray for Howe

The legendary Gordie Howe, 87, continues to amaze with his recovery from near death after undergoing a stem-cell transplant.

His son, Mark, told NHL.com's Mike G. Morreale that he FaceTimes with his father on most days and Gordie is doing well.

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Man, would I love to see an in-depth documentary on how all this happened. It would be a huge ratings winner. As Mark Howe said in Morreale's story, his father had nearly given up on living following a series of strokes, but the stem-cell procedure literally and figuratively gave him new life.

Quick Takes

• The biggest free-agent bust of the year so far? Colorado's Carl Soderberg has to be among the clubhouse leaders. Signed to a five-year, $23.75 million deal over the summer, the former Boston Bruin has three goals, 12 points and a minus-seven rating in 21 games. According to Hockey-Reference.com, his Corsi percentage stands at 47.0 percent, down from 57.3 last season. Granted, Colorado's defense is lousy and makes it harder for the forwards to get the puck, but so far Soderberg has been part of the problem in Denver—not the solution management had hoped.
• I still like Scotty Bowman's theory on how to best increase offense—or at least more offensive chances. Forget skinnier pads or goalposts. Shrink the neutral zone by three feet on each side and add that space to the offensive zone. The more zone area defenders have to defend, the less they than can all collapse in the middle and just block shots.
• Forget about coach Patrick Roy getting fired, as some disgruntled Avs fans may want. Not going to happen, not this year anyway. He's also a vice president of hockey operations, so he'd essentially be firing himself. He'll either resign or kick himself upstairs before he ever gets fired first.
• When all the players are out of gas by the first seven minutes of the new three-on-three format for the NHL All-Star Game, don't come complaining here. My personal opinion: It's going to get monotonous to watch after the first few minutes, then things will get worse by how tired everybody will get. But, hey, All-Star Games have been bad for many years now.
• Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

Adrian Dater covers the NHL for Bleacher Report.