Mike Richards
C FA
Sat 5/7/16 7:08 PM

Richards (illness) took part in warmups and will play in Saturday's game against the Penguins.
EDGE Analysis
Richards missed Friday's practice with an illness, but the ailment will not prevent him from taking the ice in Washington's do-or-die matchup with Pittsburgh. He will center the Capitals' fourth line.

Mike Richards
C FA
Fri 5/6/16 12:06 PM

Richards is dealing with an illness and missed Friday's practice as a result, Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
It's too early to tell if Richards will be available for Saturday's Game 5 against the Penguins, but the next morning skate should help us shed light on the situation. Either way, this isn't likely to cause a stir in fantasy circles as the veteran has yet to record a single point in the playoffs.

Mike Richards
C FA
Wed 3/23/16 12:49 PM

Richards had a goal in Tuesday's 4-2 win over Ottawa.
EDGE Analysis
Richards opened the scoring early in the first period with his second goal of the season after being joining the Capitals in early-January. With limited minutes and power-play time, the two-time Stanley Cup winner is of tremendous value to the Capitals for his defensive abilities, but doesn't produce enough offense to warrant fantasy relevance outside of deeper leagues.

Mike Richards
C FA
Wed 2/24/16 2:04 PM

The drug charge against Richards was stayed in court Wednesday, the Winnipeg Sun reports.
EDGE Analysis
Richards was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance while trying to cross into Canada last June, but with the charges now dropped, he is free from any further legal entanglement in the matter. The two-time Stanley Cup winning center has just one goal in 15 games this season, but with the legal picture cleared up, he could draw some interest if he hits unrestricted free agency this summer.

Mike Richards
C FA
Tue 2/23/16 8:50 AM

Richards found the back of the net Monday in a 3-2 win over the Coyotes.
EDGE Analysis
This was Richards' first point as a member of the Caps in 15 games. He's a two-time Stanley Cup winner playing for the best team in the league but Richards is only averaging 12:10 of ice time this campaign, and is well past his prime when he was a Flyer and went through a stretch of 283 points in 315 games between 2007-11.

Mike Richards
C FA
Thu 2/11/16 7:50 PM

Richards (undisclosed) will play in Thursday's game against the Wild, Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Richards skipped Wednesday's practice due to what was described as a maintenance day, but his presence among the forward ranks (fourth line center) during warmups indicates he'll be good to go Thursday. He's yet to notch a point in nine NHL contests this season, averaging just 12:28 of ice time, so it's best to temper any expectations for the veteran.

Mike Richards
C FA
Thu 2/11/16 1:20 PM

Head coach Barry Trotz said Richards (undisclosed) is questionable for Thursday's contest against the Wild, Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Richards (undisclosed) was absent from Wednesday's practice with what was described at the time as a maintenance day for the defensive specialist. His presence at the optional morning skate casts some doubt as to his availability, so fantasy owners might want to have a contingency plan in case he can't take the ice tonight. Stanislav Galiev would draw into the lineup should Richards be unable to go.

Mike Richards
C FA
Wed 1/27/16 12:33 PM

Richards' trial in Manitoba will not begin until Feb. 25, the Canadian Press reports.
EDGE Analysis
Richards was set to be tried on charges of possession of a controlled substance when he tried to enter Canada on June 17. The prosecutors are currently waiting on the results of an investigation requested by Richards' legal counsel which has yet to be concluded. The ongoing legal issues continue to linger, but for now Richards appears to be adjusting to the rigors of the NHL grind and is likely to be a permanent fixture in the Capitals lineup from here on, although his lack of offensive opportunity given him little fantasy value at the moment. He has no points in three games so far in DC.

Mike Richards
C FA
Sun 1/17/16 2:24 AM

Richards made his season debut Saturday in Washington's 4-1 loss to Buffalo. He fired one shot and laid five hits in the loss.
EDGE Analysis
He won five-of-11 face-offs and didn't embarrass himself out there. We're not ready to speculate on Richards' go-forward role with the Capitals, but suffice to say he should deliver some quality bottom-six minutes for the team. It may take a little time for him to settle into an offensive routine, so let someone else take the bait right now.

Mike Richards
C FA
Sat 1/16/16 12:23 PM

Richards took line rushes for Saturday's pre-game skate and is expected to play against the Sabres, Mike Vogel of Monumental Network reports.
EDGE Analysis
Richards, signed by the Capitals on Jan. 6, has been improving in recent practices and head coach Barry Trotz appears ready to let him play. While the progress is reassuring, the Capitals have indicated they will be very pragmatic regarding Richards and a conditioning stint with AHL Hershey still looms as a possibility. It is hard to gauge Richards' fantasy value for the rest of the season although it does not appear at this time that he will crack Washington's potent top-six assuming everyone is healthy. Keep an eye on his progress, but it's hard to recommend picking him up in standard formats at this time, at least until his role becomes clearer.