The Los Angeles Kings and Mike Richards finally have parted ways, but the veteran center will continue to be paid by the team for more than 15 years.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has reported the breakdown of the salary cap hit the Kings will take for each year of the contract settlement recently reached by Richards and the team. General Fanager put it in a table and showed how much money the Kings saved by going this route instead of a buyout. The salary cap hit in Richards’ original deal was more than $5 million.
Richards was charged with possession of a controlled substance by Royal Canadian Mounted Police stemming from a June 17 incident in which he was stopped by authorities at the U.S.-Canadian border. In late June, the Kings moved to terminate his contract, citing a “material breach.”
Richards was acquired by the Kings before the 2011-12 season in a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia Flyers. He helped Los Angeles win Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014, but his offensive production significantly declined from the pace he set for many seasons in Philly.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Rempe/USA TODAY Sports Images
