With six years remaining on his 12-year, $69-million deal, it looked as though Mike Richards' exit from the Los Angeles Kings was imminent.

The once ultra-effective two-way forward has seen a steep decline in his game over the past few years, and although he seems like an ideal candidate for a compliance buyout, TSN's Darren Dreger says that the Kings aren't planning on paying him to go away just yet.

"The Los Angeles Kings don't plan on buying out Mike Richards because then they'd have to replace him, but Richards likely doesn't want to be a fourth-line center for the LA Kings," Dreger said Wednesday on Insider Trading, adding that Richards "May not want to follow the same path that the Kings want him to follow, so this could get very interesting."

Richards' offensive production cratered in 2013-14, scoring 11 goals and 41 points while frequently finding himself on the fourth line, so a change of scenery may be what he needs to revitalize his flagging career.