Mike Richards

Jordan Staal and Mike Richards may draw a lot of comparisons after last night.

June 23rd, 2011, then a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, Mike Richards, along with prospect Rob Bordson, was traded to Los Angeles for Brayden Schenn, and the Los Angeles Kings' second round pick in 2012.

Last night (and almost a full year to the day of the Richards trade), Jordan Staal was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina's eighth overall selection in the first round, Brandon Sutter and prospect Brian Dumoulin.

But aside from these trades being conducted in the days and hours leading up to their respective drafts, why are these two trades alike?

Both Players Show Up to Play When it Counts

Needless to say, these trades were blockbusters. But if Mike Richards and Jordan Staal hadn't been high-quality players, these trades wouldn't have been as well remembered.

Now to set the record straight, Mike Richards and Jordan Staal aren't going to be winning Hart Trophies any time soon, but both players show up where it counts: the playoffs.

Mike Richards put up just 44 points in 74 games this season. This was his lowest points-per-game total of his career. But when put in perspective, prior to the Kings' acquisition of Jeff Carter, the Kings flat out couldn't score goals. The Kings finished the regular season ranked second to last in goals scored, averaging 2.29 goals per game.

But the Kings won the Stanley Cup this season, and they boosted their goals-per-game total to 2.85 in the playoffs. Richards put up 15 points in 20 games on the second line.

Jordan Staal put up 25 goals and 25 assists this season, playing the last couple months of the season as the third-line center after Sidney Crosby returned from his "post-concussion syndrome" injury.

But the former 2006 second overall pick saved his best performance for the playoffs, where he put up six goals and nine points in six games in a high-scoring series with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Flyers would eliminate their in-state rivals in six games.

Both Players Needed to Be Moved for Their Organizations to Move Forward

I might spark some disagreement by saying that both Richards and Staal needed to be moved, but this was definitely the case, and I will explain why.

Mike Richards came within two wins of winning the Stanley Cup in 2010 with the Flyers and the next season, the Flyers would be swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Boston Bruins. Things clearly weren't working and changes had to be made.

Richards was shipped out to Los Angeles and teammate Jeff Carter was shipped to Columbus. That cleared (per CapGeek.com) just over $11 million in cap space. Richards was "shocked" but "excited" as well.

Los Angeles had made the playoffs the previous two seasons, but they had not made it past the first round since beating the Detroit Red Wings in 2001.

The rest (for Richards), as they say, was history. The Kings won the Cup, and Richards was reunited with his Flyers teammate, Jeff Carter.

For the Penguins' Jordan Staal, the future in Carolina is not looking so bright as of yet.

After turning down a reported 10-year extension to stay in Pittsburgh (essentially guaranteeing that he would be playing third-line center behind Crosby and Malkin), Staal was traded to Carolina.

Since their 2006 Stanley Cup, the Hurricanes have qualified for the playoffs just once in the past six seasons. They were swept in the 2009 Eastern Conference finals by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

Jordan Staal joins his brother, Eric, and the expectation is that they will play second- and first-line center, respectively.

Will Jordan Staal be able to help his brother take the Hurricanes back to the playoffs?

That is a question for another day, but the comparisons of the Richards trade and Staal trade will remain for quite some time.

For more article updates, follow @isaacesmith91

There is plenty to love about the Stanley Cup Finals, but perhaps the best thing is seeing a player who has been through a lot finally lift the hardware at the end of the series.

There were several players you could say that about on Monday night as the Los Angeles Kings reigned supreme over the New Jersey Devils in six games.

The Kings were the ultimate Cinderella story, as they made the playoffs as a No. 8 seed and proceeded to steamroll through the playoffs with a 16-4 record.

Players like Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown will deservedly receive a ton of praise, but the guys who had to overcome adversity are the ones that fans should be happiest for.

Here are three Kings stars who redeemed themselves most in L.A.'s Stanley Cup victory and figure to have much different reputations moving forward.

Mike Richards

Last season, Mike Richards was the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers and was considered the team's cornerstone for the future. After repeated playoff failures and off-ice controversy, though, the Flyers decided to deal him to the Kings in exchange for forwards Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds.

Many praised the deal from Philly's perspective, as it rid itself of a player who was considered by most to be a locker-room cancer due to his hard-partying ways and lack of accountability.

Perhaps those things were true of Richards in Philadelphia, but he was a much different player in Los Angeles this year. Richards' point production dropped off quite a bit as the Kings struggled to score during the regular season, but he woke up in the playoffs with 15 points in 20 games and wasn't a distraction all year long.

Taking a backseat to Brown in terms of the captaincy was probably good for Richards, as he ultimately proved that he could be a main contributor for a championship team.

Jeff Carter

As Richards' close friend, it is only fitting that Jeff Carter makes this list as well. Carter was in the exact same boat as Richards in Philadelphia, as the perception was that they were more trouble than they were worth.

Carter was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets last offseason for forward Jakub Voracek and a draft pick that became forward Sean Couturier. Like the Richards trade, it was thought that the Flyers had gotten a steal.

Things didn't work out at first for Carter, as he was often injured for the floundering Blue Jackets. Columbus decided to cut its losses by dealing Carter to the Kings prior to the deadline for defenseman Jack Johnson.

Carter was a shot in the arm for Los Angeles offensively, as he scored nine points in 16 regular-season games and netted eight playoff goals, including two in the Cup-clinching game. Like Richards, Carter showed the world that he could help a winning cause.

Jarret Stoll

One of the most maligned forwards in the NHL over the past several seasons has been Kings center Jarret Stoll. The skilled pivot was a big part of another No. 8 seed's magical run to the Stanley Cup Finals as he racked up 68 points for the Edmonton Oilers during the 2005-06 regular season.

As things have slowly reverted back to pre-lockout form in the NHL, however, Stoll has never been able to replicate that lofty offensive production.

Stoll hasn't topped 47 points in a season since then, in fact, and this year may have been his worst. Stoll had only 21 points during the regular season, which was his fewest since his rookie year in 2003-04.

Despite the drastic drop off, though, Stoll was very valuable in the playoffs as he won faceoffs, played a strong two-way game and was an all-round steady presence. He may never again break 60 points in a season, but Stoll clearly has worth come playoff time.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

This was for Gretzky. And Marcel Dionne. And Jozef Stumpel. And Ziggy Palffy, Rob Blake, Steve Duchesne, Dave Taylor, Marty McSorley, Kelly Hrudey and all the former Kings who fought the good fight for 45 years with no championship to show for it. LA's 6-1 clincher over the New Jersey Devils felt like a glacier being lifted off of the back of the faithful hockey fans of Los Angeles. 

You can't quite say Southern California because Anaheim lifted the Cup in 2007. But for Kings fans, from the Sports Arena to the Forum to Staples Center, this odyssey seemed almost fitting: an eighth seed that was deemed an afterthought going into the playoffs turned into one of the most dominant teams in playoff history.

Where does it start? How do you properly give the credit to a team that seemed to come out of nowhere, but in truth was poised to make this type of push? Obviously, it starts with dour, but fair head man Daryl Sutter who was lured out of retirement to coach this club in the wake of Terry Murray's firing in mid-December. Sutter, as it has been said time and time again, brought a different energy to this team. The expectations went up, and slowly but surely the effort level and aggressiveness began to match.

In many ways, Sutter's hiring was the ignition to this turnaround. The tipping point was the deadline deal (which many Kings fans did not like) that brought Jeff Carter from Columbus for Jack Johnson. Carter's arrival did not pay immediate dividends, but he brought a dimension of scoring punch the Kings sorely lacked. His eight playoff goals are testament to that.

But let's be honest here. The unquestioned key to this team's ascent was the brilliance of goaltender Jonathan Quick. Over the last three months, Quick was quite simply the best goaltender in hockey. And going 16-4 with a 1.41 goals allowed average in the playoffs and finals, there was no doubt who the Conn Smythe trophy winner was going to be. He simply dominated these playoffs, and the Kings' run was completely in sync with his play.

Ultimately, there were standout performances from players such as the captain, Dustin Brown; the now very well known star Anze Kopitar; Mr. Pancakes himself, Dustin Penner; and unsung players such as Jordan Nolan, Rob Scuderi, Slava Voynov and Justin Williams who combined hard work, hustle and opportunity into big-time goals and timely defensive stops all throughout the playoffs. The formula came together perfectly for a team and a city to reach the top of the hockey mountain.

Some will write this off as a fluke. Who knows, there may be some merit to that. But it was not an accident. You do not lead all four series three games to none as a result of an accident. The best team in hockey won Monday night. And the Los Angeles Kings are the unquestioned monarchs of hockey. After 24 years of rooting for them, I may need more than a couple of hours to let that sink in. 

Everyone knew when the series began that it wouldn't be an easy one for either team. That's why it was so surprising that the Los Angeles Kings stormed their way to a dominating 3-0 series lead.

However, Coach Peter DeBoer and the New Jersey Devils never panicked, never changed their game and never changed their attitude. Despite a few minor roster tweaks, like the insertion of Petr Sykora and Henrik Tallinder, the Devils have stayed true to what they believe works.

And it's paid off.

Now it's the Kings' turn. Facing an inspired charge by the Devils, the Kings are faced with an almost similar problem. Do you believe in the game that got you here? Do you remain positive in everything?

It seems that is the approach the Kings players are taking.

Bleacher Report was there to talk with Kings' alternate captain, Anze Kopitar, about not letting doubts creep into the team's game. 

"Yeah, I mean, we're still in obviously a really good spot," Kopitar said. "If somebody would have told us that we were going to go up 3-2 going home to have the chance to close it out, I think everybody would sign that paper."

All things considered, the Kings are still in a position that 29 other teams would die to be in right now. The Kings were up 3-0 for a record-setting fourth time this postseason, and Mike Richards admitted yesterday that perhaps the Kings let that moment get to them a bit.

"Everyone was nervous for Game 4.  Now we're back to having fun again like we were through the whole playoffs and the season."

It's important to remember that these guys are human beings. Despite playing on an almost supernatural level for some time, the pressure of being maybe the most dominant team in hockey history had to get to them a little bit. You work your whole life for a goal that is perhaps just one step away. It certainly can be a bit unnerving.

On top of the added self-pressure, most of the players' friends and families had flown in to hopefully see the one they love achieve his lifelong dream. With that kind of added vibe around Staples Center, Drew Doughty admitted it was hard to keep focused.

"I think a lot of us before Game 4 were distracted with family members and friends, the Cup coming in the building," Doughty said. "Family always comes first for everyone."

However, the 22-year-old then put it all into a better perspective by saying, "but at this point of the year, the team has to come first.  We're a family in the room, on the ice."

The Kings know that they are facing a New Jersey team that is now revitalized.

Maybe the Kings can learn a lesson from their opponent. Regardless of the circumstances, if you believe in your game, the bounces will come, and the hard work will pay off.

After all, the Kings have had several glorious opportunities over the course of the last two games, including a total of five scuffed posts and at least four breakaways that were missed and/or blocked by Marty Brodeur.

But Captain Dustin Brown seems to have the right attitude. "I think all that stuff evens out.  It's more about playing the game, sticking with your system," said Brown. "You just got to keep your head down, keep working."

One thing is for certain.

A lot of work will need to be done if the Kings want to put out the newly ignited fire in their opponent and skate the cup on home ice.

Jason Lewis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, reporting live from Staples Center. The interviews in this article were obtained first-hand. Follow Jason on twitter @SirJDL for up to the minute updates on Game 6 and the Kings.

Fans of the Philadelphia Flyers had the luxury of watching Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne and Justin Williams start their NHL careers in orange and black.

The four forwards are suiting up together in search of the Stanley Cup, but this time they’re wearing black and white.

A loss in the 2010 Stanley Cup finals to the Chicago Blackhawks set off a series of personnel changes that would lead to Richards, Carter and Gagne becoming members of Los Angeles Kings.

On July 19, 2010, Gagne was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He would spend a season there before becoming a free agent and signing a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings in July 2011.

On June 23, 2011, the Flyers made two trades that sent captain Mike Richards and Jeff Carter out of town.

Richards was sent to the Kings in exchange for Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and a second round draft pick.

Carter went to Columbus in exchange for Jakub Voracek and a pair of draft picks. However, Carter’s days in Columbus came to an end this past February, when he was traded to Los Angeles for Jack Johnson.

Along with the four forwards, former Flyers' head coach John Stevens is also a part of the Kings' organization as an assistant coach.

While their roles have certainly varied, the former Flyers have been important to the Kings' Stanley Cup run.

Mike Richards

Mike Richards is a proven leader and winner. He has won an OHL championship and a Memorial Cup, as captain of the Kitchener Rangers. Both he and Carter averaged over a point per game to help the Philadelphia Phantoms win the 2005 Calder Cup. Richards has won two gold medals with Team Canada, as a member of the 2005 World Junior team and the 2010 Olympic squad.

Richards brings a tough, physical two-way style of play to Los Angeles. Richards has 35 hits and 14 blocked shots in 18 playoff games. He’s averaging almost 20 minutes of ice time per game and has contributed offensively with four goals and nine assists for 13 points.

However, it’s possible Richards’ greatest contributions may not be those found on a stats sheet. Richards’ leadership, his ability to motivate others and his passion for the game have been evident throughout his hockey career.

Jeff Carter

Carter’s best season came in 2008-09 when he scored 46 goals and 28 assists for 84 points. Carter is more than capable of topping those numbers, but unfortunately he's had to deal with injuries to his foot and knee over the last few seasons.

Carter struggled at times during the first two rounds of the playoffs, but has since stepped up his game. Carter had a hat trick in Game 2 versus the Coyotes and scored a beautiful overtime winner in Game 2 of the finals, giving the Kings a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Carter has registered six goals and five assists for 11 points in 18 playoff games. Carter has helped a struggling Kings’ power play, scoring three goals on the man advantage. While he doesn’t take a huge number of draws, Carter has been effective in the faceoff circle, winning 52.7 percent of his faceoffs.

Simon Gagne

As a seven-time 20 goal scorer and a two-time 40 goal scorer, Gagne was a consistent producer for the Philadelphia Flyers. If it weren’t for a number of concussions, Gagne’s stats would be even better. His most recent setback came earlier this season. Gagne had been out since December 26 before returning to the Kings’ lineup for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals.

Although Gagne hasn’t been a major factor in his first two games back, his lengthy absence did give some young players the opportunity to shine. Dwight King, Trevor Lewis and Jordan Nolan have all contributed to the Kings' run.

Justin Williams

After being traded by the Flyers to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2004, Williams won a Stanley Cup in 2006 as his Hurricanes defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. That experience is a great addition to a young team that had limited success prior to this playoff run.

Williams has been a consistent force on the Kings’ first line, along with Anze Kopitar and captain Dustin Brown. Williams is tied with Drew Doughty for third on the team in playoff scoring, with three goals and 11 assists for 14 points. 

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren pulled off two cataclysmic trades that changed the identity of the Philadelphia Flyers on June 23, 2011. Mike Richards, the team captain, landed in Los Angeles, and Jeff Carter went (albeit begrudgingly and with significant prodding from his new team's brass) to Columbus.

Most Flyers fans, as evidenced by Twitter feeds and message boards, have rooted against the Kings in the first three rounds of the playoffs. Many Flyers fans have expressed that they cannot even bear to watch the Stanley Cup Final between the Kings and New Jersey Devils.

Philadelphia is a beleaguered city. That is harsh but true. Those who believe in curses and hexes may argue that a dark cloud hovers over Philadelphia. They could be right.

Philadelphians will count the nearly glorified playoff runs of the Flyers, Sixers, Eagles and Phillies throughout the year. They will certainly remember the devastating injuries and the controversial calls.

Philadelphians watched as upstart teams like the 1984 New Jersey Nets and the 2010 San Francisco Giants won playoff series over heavily favored Philadelphia teams. Philadelphia fans have watched in horror, disgust and disdain as vilified rival cities like New York and Boston hoist Stanley Cups, NBA Championships, World Series titles and Vince Lombardi (NFL) Trophies.

It's late spring, and sometimes Philadelphians need to take a deep breath and let the hate go, at least temporarily. The Phillies are off to a dismal 12-19 start at home with a power outage in the lineup and no consistent set-up man on the roster. The union is dismantling a team that was just beginning to come together.

Doting on these negatives is just unhealthy and unproductive. Instead, the positives—the seeming ascension of the 76ers, the Grade A 2012 draft by the Eagles and the growth of the Flyers with superstar-in-the-making Claude Giroux—need to be accentuated.

In addition to the health angle, there are several other reasons why Flyers fans should let go of the angst and root for the Kings.

1. For all the Flyers fans saying that Paul Holmgren gave the Kings a championship (which they have yet to win), remember that Holmgren traded Jeff Carter to Columbus. Blame Blue Jackets' general manager Scott Howson if you need a fall guy for the reunion of the bosom buddies.

2. Richards and Carter are NOT first-line players; they are complementary pieces. Richards and Carter play on the second line in LA with Dustin Penner, behind the trio of Justin Williams, Anze Kopitar, and Dustin Brown. If they couldn't win in Philadelphia as first-line players, why not acquire young players for them?

Their cap hits are too large to build around them with top-line talent in Philadelphia. Paul Holmgren deserves some degree of vindication in that regard.

3. They are but two players on a team that is playing perennial villains Martin Brodeur, Patrik Elias and the New Jersey Devils. The Devils, a division rival, are vying for a fourth Stanley Cup, which would be double the output of the Flyers. How can any self-respecting Flyers fan want that?

4. In another effort to accentuate the positives, how many other Kings do Flyers fans despise? How many Kings do Flyers revere and respect?

How about Simon Gagne, Justin Williams, and Ron Hextall? Do Gagne and Hextall deserve their first Cup? Hextall and Gagne, in my opinion, were Flyers through and through. They displayed their emotions differently, but they were both consummate team players.

Hextall lead the 1987 Flyers to a Stanley Cup Final matchup against the Goliaths of the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers. He came away with the Conn Smythe Trophy only, but he left an indelible mark on Philadelphians with that performance. The Flyers will probably need another goaltending performance like that in order to catch Lord Stanley's Cup, but that is a different topic for a different article.

The Flyers do not pull off the epic comeback against the Boston Bruins in the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals without Simon Gagne. He was the spark plug that provided the necessary offensive lift in Game 4, and he notched the series winner in Game 7 in front of a stunned Boston crowd. In 2004, he knocked the Flyers into a Game 7 showdown in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an overtime tally.

Flyers' fans often argue that Gagne was overrated and never a consistent top-line guy. So what? He had heart, and he battled through injuries, gave his best effort and never (from any published reports) caused rancor in the Flyers dressing room. I am thrilled that Darryl Sutter played Gagne in Games 3 and 4, making him eligible for inscription of his name onto the Stanley Cup.

5. If the Kings do win the Cup, that doesn't mean the Kings won the trade(s). Again, the Flyers cannot be blamed for the acquisition of Jeff Carter by the LA Kings. The Flyers got the young players—Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Jake Voracek, Sean Couturier (all of whom played for the Flyers last season) and prospect Nick Cousins.

Last season, Schenn, Simmonds, Voracek and Couturier doubled up the Richards-Carter tandem in points. So, if you want to gauge the short-term impact of the trade, that should be the barometer—not how the Kings TEAM reached the Stanley Cup Final. The Kings also have some guy named Jonathan Quick, who may finish this postseason with the second-best goals-against average in NHL history.

Many Flyers fans will scoff at this article, and that is OK. It is sports, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. For me, it's time to be happy for a deserving team and to root against a natural rival. 

The Flyers have re-tooled for the future. These trades cannot be fully measured for many years to come. There should be ample opportunity for the Flyers to capture more Cups than the Kings.