Mike Richards

Mike Richards (right), playing for the Los Angeles Kings in a May 2014 game, has just three goals in 15 AHL games this season. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

What's going on now with Mike Richards?

The demoted Los Angeles Kings center wasn't scoring in the NHL, and now he's not even producing in the minors.

After a good start in the AHL, Richards hasn't done much for 2 1/2 weeks.

Richards was scoreless again Saturday night for the Manchester Monarchs in a 3-0 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

His Friday night was similar: No points in a 6-3 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Kings wanted Richards' offensive game to pick up when they sent him to the minors in late January, and his overall numbers are respectable: 3 goals, 13 points in 17 games.

A closer look, however, reveals Richards piling up 11 points in his first eight games and two over his last seven.

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The problem, according to people in the know, is that Richards' skillset isn't what it used to be even though he just turned 30 last month.

Before Richards was waived, not claimed and then sent to the AHL, he had just five goals and 15 points in 47 games with the Kings.

This nightmare for Richards, who had two 30-goal seasons for the Flyers, is just beginning because of he's only seven seasons into a 12-year, $69 million contract that carries a $5.75 million cap hit through the 2020-21 season.

And the Flyers thought Vinny Lecavalier's contract was bad. His $4.5 million cap hit will be off the books three years before Richards' expires. And while Lecavalier has been a healthy scratch a bunch of times since December, he's still at least an NHL player whose a season removed from scoring 20 goals.

Richards needs to pick up his game a lot to earn another NHL opportunity. And if he doesn't, he could be stuck in the minors for a long time because there's no way he's retiring with another $29 million in guaranteed money on his contract.



At some point, you've got to figure the Kings will give Richards another shot ... perhaps only because of a need on their fourth line due to injuries, perhaps because they want to see if time in the minors motivates him to do more in the NHL.

Regardless, it would behoove Richards at the very least to become more of a consistent AHL point producer.



Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com Philadelphia Sports on Facebook.