Richards scored a goal in Sunday's 4-2 victory against Calgary, his third in the last seven games.

EDGE Analysis

Richards has played much better as of late, with four points in his last seven contests. While his days of fantasy stardom may be over, he's still producing at a decent clip, with eight points in 20 games.

Richards scored Detroit's only goal while firing five shots on net in Monday's 2-1 loss to the Sabres.

EDGE Analysis

Age has clearly caught up to the 35-year-old forward, but he has done his best to defy it with two points and 11 shots over his last two games. Even with this minor bump in production, Richards has just two goals and five assists this season despite playing in a top-six role.

Richards scored his first goal of the season in Saturday's overtime win over Nashville.

EDGE Analysis

He has struggled to recover from a back injury and has just five points in 14 games. Richards' star has dimmed over the last few years, in part due to age and in part because of his slow feet. But Richards' drop doesn't feel as dramatic as former teammate, Vinny Lecavalier's. Still, we wouldn't put him on a roster unless it was super deep and he manages to go on a run.

Richards collected two primary assists in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win against the Blues.

EDGE Analysis

Richards skated around the net and connected with Pavel Datsyuk, who posted his first goal of the season. In the overtime frame, he also contributed a game-winning helper to Teemu Pulkkinen with the man advantage. Despite missing 13 games with a back injury, Richards has looked energetic since returning to action Friday. In the past two games, he has combined for seven shots on goal, but the trouble is that nothing has been falling for the 35-year-old center. Richards is past his prime, but he does have 288 goals and 619 assists through 1,066 career contests, so you know that he's capable of big things for the Winged Wheel.

Richards (back) practiced with the second power play unit Thursday and appears ready to return Friday against Los Angeles, Ansar Khan of MLive reports.

EDGE Analysis

Richards finally looks good to go after missing nearly a month with a back ailment. He had two points in six games before his injury, and should slot back in as a bottom-six center.

Richards (back) logged a full practice for the first time since Oct. 21 on Thursday, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's a big step in the right direction for Richards, who is still recovering from a back injury he's been dealing with since Oct. 21. The 35-year-old center resumed skating Tuesday, and was able to fully practice Thursday, indicating he is likely on the verge of making a return to game action. Richards will probably need to log a number of full practices to get back into playing shape before returning to the Wings' lineup, but it isn't unreasonable to expect that he will be ready to suit up within the next few weeks.

Richards skated in practice Tuesday morning, but remains out for the near future, George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

Coach Jeff Blashill said his injury is more than day-to-day, so it may be a week or two before Richards starts practicing fully. It is a good sign, however, that he's skating again.

Richards (back) is still not skating at practice, Ansar Khan of MLive reports.

EDGE Analysis

Richards was thought to only be day-to-day originally, but it's now been a few weeks and he appears no close to returning. Back injuries are tough for veterans to deal with, so Richards is likely at least still a week away from a return.

Richards (back) has been placed on injured reserve, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

Initially, Richards' back issue had him listed as day-to-day but apparently he needs more time to recover, hence the team's decision to put him on injured reserve. The veteran journeyman has put up two assists through six games this season, while averaging 14:24 TOI.

Richards is out of Friday's lineup against Calgary,but is considered just day-to-day because of the issue, MLive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Richards has already been ruled out Friday after not skating either of the past couple days, but fortunately the injury is relatively minor in nature. His next chance to rejoin the lineup will come Saturday against the Canucks, but whether or not he's present at morning skate should provide a clearer picture on his status for the contest.