After losing their past three games to conference rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers have made a move that they hope will bring them out of their current slump.
Standout young centre Mike Richards has been offered an OTHL contract and accepted it yesterday. The feisty two-way pivot will receive $700,000 for the next three years, as well as a heft $1,000,000 signing bonus.
Richards is expected to immediately jump into the lineup and will supplant one of Jim Dowd or Claude Lapointe as an everyday player. Depending on his performance, he could see some second line time as veteran Steve Yzerman has struggled at times.
“I’ve been expected an offer for the past few days, so to finally have them call me and tell me that they want me in the show was pretty relieving really,” commented the excited former Kitchener Ranger. “To have the chance to play on a team with Mario Lemieux or Steve Yzerman is overwhelming.”
Richards is not expected to see time in today’s game against Buffalo but should dress for the team’s next match.