Kings, Mike Richards reach settlement
Sounds like the Kings will be paying Richards until we're all dead in the ground.
I know this isn't specifically Sharks news, but I have a feeling this will be of interest to most here. Mike Richards and the Los Angeles Kings have reached a settlement that will see Richards paid by the Kings until 2031.
We don't currently know the amount each year's cap hit will be, but it certainly sounds like the Kings will avoid paying the full amount due to Richards. I'll wait on the full details to comment further, but this seems to set a dangerous precedent in which an NHL team can find a way to weasel out of a bad contract when the player isn't performing the way they'd hope.
Hearing that Mike Richards will be on the cap until 2031. Not sure of payment, but that is the term.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 9, 2015 I doubt there are many big Richards fans on here, but it would be a bummer to see his NHL career end this way. It's possible, of course, that he goes on to play somewhere else but I feel that's a bit doubtful at this point.