Brad Richards Injury: Richards Will Not Play Vs Islanders Tonight

According to several reports from Nassau Coliseum, Brad Richards was not present at the morning skate, and will not be in the lineup for his second straight game. Richards has been out of the lineup since taking a cross check from behind, where Patrick Kaleta was suspended for five games.

Richards spoke with the media, and informed them that there is still no timetable for his return to the lineup. However, he did shoot down any rumors that he was dealing with a concussion, and said that he is just dealing with some body soreness. He has sat out the last two games, in order to make a full recovery and that he didn't want to risk further injury by returning to action early.

It's a smart decision by both the training staff and Brad Richards, as it's always worth healing up 100% and getting back quicker, rather than suffering a setback down the road. To get an idea of what Richards was feeling after the hit, you can check out Jo Innes' article over at The Score.