L.A. hot for Richards sweepstakes

With the NHL now into its second quarter, weaknesses and strengths are revealing themselves.

That said, you can add the Los Angeles Kings to the potential list of teams that will be in pursuit of forward Brad Richards should the potential unrestricted free agent be put on the market by the Dallas Stars.

The Kings need someone to play on the left side of Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown to fill out the club’s top-six group and give them two solid offensive lines.

“He has also won a Stanley Cup which is important for a young group like the Kings,” one insider said. “He has played the wing, too.”

The Kings have the prospects and the cap space to put together a package for Richards should the Stars — who are unsettled in the ownership suite — decide to move him before the trade deadline.

HEAR AND THERE: Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher keeps things fresh and different for the Lightning. The Bolts’ prep for Friday night’s game against the Caps in Washington? Ball hockey on Pennsylvania Ave., outside the White House … Brian and Stephen Gionta could face each other in a game for the first time Thursday when Brian’s Habs play Stephen’s Devils. Brian, 31, is older by four years and they’ve never played each other at any level … The St. Louis Blues are the only team without a loss in regulation time at home (8-0-1) and, going back to last season, they are 14-0-1 at home in their past 15. They were 17-18-5 at Scottrade Center last season. They are 20-5-3 at home since Davis Payne took over as coach.

THE BUZZ: Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff doesn’t have any doubt Sidney Crosby could have put up Wayne Gretzky-like numbers if Crosby was playing 20 years ago. “He would have ran away with the game, just like Gretzky did,” Ruff said. “The game is a lot tougher now. He’s still thriving in a tougher game. The depth of players in the game now is a lot better going back to the early ’80s, when teams usually had one good line or possibly two.” … Devils G Martin Brodeur is skating on his own this weekend as he recovers from that elbow injury … Patrick O’Sullivan gets another shot, this time from the Minnesota Wild, the team that originally drafted him in 2003. “Patrick scored 20 goals in the NHL before, scored nearly 50 in the American League. I don’t see any risk in picking him up. To me, there is a risk in not picking him up,” Wild GM Chuck Fletcher said. “You let a skill guy like that go by you, it’s difficult to find that type of skill in your system. We felt he’s way ahead of anybody we have in Houston (of the AHL) right now.” At 25, O’Sullivan is already with his fourth NHL team. He scored in his first game with the Wild. “It’s up to me to get back to that higher level,” said O’Sullivan, whose relationship with his abusive father was well publicized during his junior career.

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/chris_stevenson/2010/11/26/16334696.html


3 Responses to L.A. hot for Richards sweepstakes

  1. reinjosh says:

    Chris Stevenson doesn't know what he is talking about. Adding Richards to Kopitar and Brown would be useless. Richards is primarily a playmaker, which coincidentally enough, is exactly what Kopitar is. The Kings have a desperate need for a top line (although I'm sure they would settle with a top 6) sniper.

    Also with all the talk about Stamkos possibly being the best player in the NHL, I think some stuff needs to be pointed out. While many (Including me) have specualted he is ascending into the big three, I'm not sure he surpasses Crosby. Crosby is quietly having one of his best seasons ever (on pace for his best offensive season ever) and does absolutely everything. The guy just takes criticism's about his game and fixes them. Not only does he fix them but he does it over summers. Its ridiculous how talented this guy is. No question that he is the best player in the game.

    Now best scorer… thats not his to hold. That goes to either Ovechkin or Stamkos at the moment. Funny enough I think last nights little hat trick showing on Semin's part could be his way of saying "I'm still here". His talent could be very close to the level of Ovechkin's, he just gets put behind him and has injury trouble. On his own, as a team's go to guy, he could be one of the best scorers the league has outside of Ovechkin and Stamkos.

  2. MystifoLeafs says:

    When I read that LA would be going after the likes of Richards all I could do was Laugh and wonder why they would need him.

    LA could make a really good offer for him with the likes of Brayden Schenn and Hickey but why would they? adding him would not help LA in any case they would want a Scorer.
  3. Leafs_the_word says:

    Ok what would LA fans think a fair deal….

    Simmonds and a 3rd for Richards? 

    Jack Johnson and Bernier for Richards and Neal?

    In other words, LA will continue to do nothing on the trade and later on the UFA market because their GM is a dweeb incapable of making a move to put his team over the top. 

    He also fetishizes young talent, just because a player is under 25 that doesn't mean they'll be any good.

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