[Erick Estrada]

The Kings can be as greasy as they want to try and get out of paying Richards but IMO this should have no bearing on his salary cap penalty to the organization as they have chosen to sever ties only because they have used him up for his good hockey but they knew of the salary cap ramifications when they traded for him and accepted the penalty that came with it. His dependence on potent pain killers should not change that as it opens up a can of worms in a league where players often play injured and are expected to take a physical beating over the course of their careers. This would never fly in the NFL and I don't see how it would fly in the NHL.

I usually support the NHL teams in CBA bargaining but IMO what the Kings are doing here is highly distasteful and I don't believe teams should be able to get away with using up players and spitting them out when they feel they are no longer useful.