(Russell LaBounty/USA Today)
ARLINGTON, Va. - He was smiling. He was joking. On the ice, in the dressing room, with teammates, and, yes, even with media - even with me.
Mike Richards is happy to be back in hockey, so happy that he could greet an old critic with a welcoming smile and a long conversation about the status of his game, even as he still faces an oh-so-uncertain path to his future.
"My legs are good," he said after a brief pregame skate at the Washington Capitals' practice facility before Wednesday night's game against the Flyers.