Richards/Kings Settlement

[PuckinUgly57]

Or you know, his comments fell in line with wishing you noticed something was going on when everything felt fine. Like when someone commits suicide and you had no idea because they seemed fine all the time but they weren't.

You mean a captain dodging his responsibility? Great call.

He's a passive captain, and in some cases that is good, but I think he could have done more based on what we have read/discovered since the whole fiasco.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I am fine with most of what Brown said

Except
That he thinks Carter has called Richards but he had not. As a team leader, he should have at least called to see if Richards needed anything. Maybe he tried or maybe the team told him hands off. But if Carter could call so could Brown

Bingo. And that's all it takes, just a check in outside of the room. What's going on? How are you? Anything you want to talk about? What can I do to help?

The whole article reeks of avoidance to me which doesn't solve anything. I think it's ironic we have heard the term "family" with this team for the last 3-4 years yet this was not addressed at all from what I can tell.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I am going to go on a limb and say that Richards problems did not just arise this last year, he had issues in Philly already. So perhaps Brown was able to overcome this problem in a way to allow the Kings to win two cups despite the issues with these players. To keep saying he has no leadership skills and discount the fact they did win twice despite all problems that arouse right after is weak. Even the best leaders can only manage problems like those for so long before they are uncontrollable. I doubt that Brown (or anyone) could have fixed the problem without major consequence to either cup run.

I think you're spot on, the issues were there prior to his time in LA but Richards also seems to have covered it up extremely well. First we had the web pictures of him and Carter partying it up, then we had the Dry Island incident, then we have not 1 but 4 confirmed NHL execs - Dumbo, Hextall, Panthers Executive Chairman Peter Luuko, who was President of the Flyers before Holmgren who was involved with Richards while in Philadelphia and replaced him and Holmgren himself - saying there were no signs and the Kings did their due diligence. Tells me Richards is extremely cunning, much like most abusers/users, and was able to stay under the radar.

That said, I think the issues probably started escalating when he was recovering from that Bolland hit in 2013. That's still 2 years worth of noticing signs, and while not privy to what goes on in the room I would hope the veterans who were here (Mitchell, Scuderi, Regehr, etc) talked to him if Brown did not. We will never know, but I think Brown could have done more from what information we do have. That is a leadership void IMO.

I still hope Richards gets his act together, he is a force when on his game and that first Cup does not happen without him. The second one not so much, he wasn't as big an impact, but still important.

He's got plenty to offer if he can get his act together.

 

[Kings4OT]

Richards is in the same boat as Brown, his style of play takes its toll and its very evident in both players at this point. Richards at least has more to offer in leadership, skill and will to win so that's a plus for him. I still argue to this day that LA won that trade hands down and I would make it every time. The current outcome for the Kings looks outstanding with 2 cups in the rearview where none ever where. I know Flyer fans like to argue about how crappy that Richards contract is, but the fact is LA doesn't win that 1st cup without Richards and they probably don't win the second cup without having won that 1st cup. The only better outcome we could have had would have been cutting Richards when they should have and saved the cap space. As a Kings fan I will always pull for everyone that helped bring the cup to LA no matter where they end up in the future.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Richards is in the same boat as Brown, his style of play takes its toll and its very evident in both players at this point. Richards at least has more to offer in leadership, skill and will to win so that's a plus for him. I still argue to this day that LA won that trade hands down and I would make it every time. The current outcome for the Kings looks outstanding with 2 cups in the rearview where none ever where. I know Flyer fans like to argue about how crappy that Richards contract is, but the fact is LA doesn't win that 1st cup without Richards and they probably don't win the second cup without having won that 1st cup. The only better outcome we could have had would have been cutting Richards when they should have and saved the cap space. As a Kings fan I will always pull for everyone that helped bring the cup to LA no matter where they end up in the future.

Richards definitely has more of the winner's attitude than Brown does, which is why I always liked him and was stoked when the Kings made that trade. I almost couldn't believe it when I heard it, he was exactly what the Kings needed, that proven leadership for one and then it also slotted the centers exactly where they should be (i.e., Stoll became a full time 3C instead of a hybrid 2C/3C which he failed miserably at).

I too agree, no matter what, the Kings have won that trade regardless of what Flyer fans say. He delivered here in what is the ultimate goal - a Cup, and he was integral to one and had key moments in the second. In 2012, and I've always stated this even that day, that hit he laid on Burrows in the waning moments of Game 1 sent a massive message to not only the Canucks but to his teammates, we are here to win and this is how it is done. It was a franchise defining moment.

I would also make that trade 100 times over, keep Simmonds and Schenn, I'll gladly keep the Cups as a fan. Only Flyers fans will state otherwise to justify somehow that they didn't get the short end of that deal. It's gravy the Kings landed "that slacker" Carter who was key to both Cups and has really matured as a player and person in LA not to mention this move also moved players where there should be on the wing while getting rid of a major disappointment in Johnson.

The Kings did screw up by not using the Compliance Buyout not once but twice, but that also begs the question I have posed - why did Brown stay quiet? Richards was too important and too expensive to the team to not at least say something to him, if not management. But who knows, he may have been well off the rails at that point like you stated earlier.

I think the only comparison between Brown and Richards is the physical play, Richards is/was better than Brown is in all other aspects of the game - scoring, passing, leadership, you name it. I also think it's a joke that Kings fans had no problem seeing Richards go and even called for it but have turned a blind eye towards Brown, who's steady decline 4 years in a row now coupled with his albatross contract is frightening and the salary ramifications are going to worse than Richards' was if it isn't taken care of and fast. Two goals in 2 months...that is completely unacceptable.

Any by taken care of, I mean the guy needs to be moved; he should have been moved 2 years ago minimum because it was obvious he was headed south.

 

[Deader2818]

Some times you have your head so far up your own ass puck its unbelieve able.

Its not always easy to tell when someone has a problem weather it be drugs, drinking or depression. To blame that on someone else not noticing and bullshit imo.\

You can hate on Brown as a player all you want but you are really grasping at straws with this one.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Brown admitted the signs were there and that he should have said something....what did I miss son? This wasn't a case of they didn't know, they definitely suspected and his quotes tell you they knew. This was about the elephant in the room.

I agree with you that it's difficult to notice signs of people in trouble sometimes, but that clearly was not the case here.

 

[Deader2818]

The head line says
Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown regrets not noticing signs Mike Richards was 'on drugs'

The first line of the article says "Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown wishes he'd have noticed something."

And then it says "Brown says he probably should have picked up on Richards having personal issues, but never did."

So.. how exactly is that him saying that he noticed signs and that he should have done something?

Im not sure if you actually even read the article.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Read the whole thing my man. Brown also said these two things, same article:

"But in retrospect, you probably could have looked back at certain scenarios and thought about it. But it's easy in the review mirror."

Brown has asked himself how he missed signs that Richards needed help.


"There's instances of that, yeah," he said. "I think everyone in here at some point or another — knowing the facts now — probably just didn't think much of it and didn't equate it to the problem that he had."

They knew dude, they just didn't want to confront him.

 

[Deader2818]

That is in no way saying that they knew. He said if they would have thought more about certein things that had happened that maybe they would have knew something and could have helped but in the end they didn't equate certain things to him being on drugs.

You're really trying hard to spin this into Brown know Richards was on drugs the whole time and did nothing about it because you don't like the dude but sorry that's not what happened at all no matter how bad you want that to be true.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

That is in no way saying that they knew. He said if they would have thought more about certein things that had happened that maybe they would have knew something and could have helped but in the end they didn't equate certain things to him being on drugs.

You're really trying hard to spin this into Brown know Richards was on drugs the whole time and did nothing about it because you don't like the dude but sorry that's not what happened at all no matter how bad you want that to be true.

We will have to agree to disagree.

We all know Brown is non-confrontational, that has been no secret for years, I'm just going to believe this is no different than any other instance where he chose to walk away instead of stand up.

 

[Psych3man]

Deader, you frequently go at Puck just to go at him. This board knows he doesn't need me (or anyone else) to defend him, it's just that your baiting is transparent and it gets old.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Deader is a good kid, I have met him a few times and also played a little hockey with him. He's entitled to his opinion just like I am mine. I will say because of age and experience, I think he is incorrect on this one. This isn't a black and white issue, and there is plenty to read between the article and actual events.

You all know I work I in sales, and my school of professional training and thought has always been one of the adviser/consultant. My line of work is not transactional, it is very detailed, probing and requires layer upon layer upon layer of questions being asked to uncover what the true need/requirement for my services are. It's not a hook and sell and see ya. I am very close to my clients and know detailed information about their lives, their kids, some even what kind of coffee they like and also what their business needs are. I don't earn this privilege by not going way into the mess to find out what what exactly is going on.

And I'm not pinning only Brown on this, I think that point has been missed by him altogether. This team has had some older veterans when Richards was here - Scuderi, Mitchell, Regehr, Williams, Gagne to name some - so it was up to them as well to say something. And who knows, maybe they did, maybe they didn't, we will never know but as the face of the team, wearing that C and having a major personal investment in the team having been drafted by them, developed by them, suffering with them and finally winning with them, I think it was Brown's responsibility to do something. He should have been the first man up to see what was going on with Richards.

My point? If you read the whole thread after the initial post of the article, you'll see I did exactly what I described above - the questions were asked to provoke thought, and once those answers were given we moved to the next level of questions. Ultimately the end result is what I stated: they knew and chose not to do anything. But I had to go about it through that methodology to show it.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

End of season review for Richards from the Capitals. They expected more offense out of him, my guess is he most likely will not be back. It was a low risk move, but more proof he is simply done as a producer and will be a checking 3/4C the rest of his career.

In Mike Richards, the Capitals got a defensive center but wanted more offense