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.