Mike Richards is Back with Capitals

He hasn’t played at all this season, but that will soon change for Mike Richards.

The two-time Stanley Cup champion center signed a one-year, $1 million pro-rated contract with the Washington Capitals. The Capitals made the announcement today.

Brian MacLellan, the senior vice president and general manager of the club, said he has been eyeing the 30-year-old since the summer but was monitoring the situation in Los Angeles where his contract was terminated by the Kings in June.

The second half of 2015 hasn’t been the best for Richards. In August, he was charged with possession of prescription painkiller Oxycodone while entering Canada. He has a court date set for January 28 according to Washington Post reporter Isabelle Khurshudyan. When speaking on the mater, MacLellan is confident Richards will be able to put the legal issues aside and focus on hockey. “I know he’s pleading not guilty going forward and we think everything will work out in his favor,” he said.

The bonus for Washington is they get a game-changing center that can add depth to the third and fourth lines. The risk isn’t much because of the low cap-hit. It’s like getting a rental player for a half a season without giving up a player. They haven’t fared well in the playoffs, and his 124 playoff games played could prove to be very valuable.

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