Quote:
Originally Posted by Phanuthier
I could be wrong, but I think timbit was referring to Richard's responsibility in terms of his lack of conditioning, preparation, partying it up in Vegas too much, etc.
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There have been hundreds of players in all sports that signed big deals only to party it up or not get in proper shape. Richards can be another one of those guys but contracts are contracts and it goes both ways when an underpaid player plays at a level above his contract the team doesn't have to pay them an extra dime and they don't.
The issue at hand has nothing to do with Richards conditioning or substance dependency as it's about the Kings trying to circumvent the salary cap. No team ever fired Dustin Penner for having a beer belly and the masters of playing great in contract years then floating like Geoff Courtnall always got paid. NHL contracts are guaranteed end of story. One of the biggest busts in sports history in Albert Haynesworth who got a record contract and then quit trying to play at all for the Redskins got paid every penny of his guaranteed money. Contracts are contracts and what the Kings are trying to do here is something that's never been done in a salary cap sport which is get out of a contract that they fully agreed to inherit when they traded for Richards. The Flyers and Rangers have sucked it up in the past and bought out their bad deals and the Kings should be no different.