OT: $73 million Cap.

[CaptHowdy00]

Even at $73 million, top NHL teams to have cap trouble | For The Win

Deanno should have bought out Richards with no hit, last season.

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

It's the old shoulda, woulda, coulda deal. I realize most posters here were all for buying him out but kind of late now. Wasn't our decision to make. Maybe we need Lombardi to pay more attention to this message board instead of LGK.

Ox

 

[PuckinUgly57]

It's the old shoulda, woulda, coulda deal. I realize most posters here were all for buying him out but kind of late now. Wasn't our decision to make. Maybe we need Lombardi to pay more attention to this message board instead of LGK.

Ox

Richards is kind of like a son to Dumbo, so I'm sure it was an emotional process for him deciding whether to buy him out or not. He gave Richards every opportunity to improve his conditioning and game and it's up to Richards to prove Dumbo wrong about being bought out.

If Richards play either stays the same or regresses, based on the RFAs with contracts due next summer - two key guys in Toffoli and Pearson - as well as the contracts for guys like Martinez and Muffin kicking in, Richards is gone either via trade with salary sharing or bought out.

If he is bought out, the hit would be through 2024-25:


2015-16: $1,216,667
2016-17: $1,716,667
2017-18: $2,716,667
2018-19: $4,216,667
2019-20: $4,216,667
2020-21: $1,466,667
2021-22: $1,466,667
2022-23: $1,466,667
2023-24: $1,466,667
2024-25: $1,466,667

Brutal. Hope Richards really understands what is at stake here in terms of his career.

 

[Kings4OT]

It's the old shoulda, woulda, coulda deal. I realize most posters here were all for buying him out but kind of late now. Wasn't our decision to make. Maybe we need Lombardi to pay more attention to this message board instead of LGK.

Ox

It made nothing but sense to buy him out, I understand its not my decision to make and you keep harping on us for giving our thoughts on the running of our team, but that's what this entire message board is for. Richards, Muffin are horrible deals for this club and saying so doesn't mean anything but sharing an opinion much like you do about someone playing good/bad. Its difficult to stay on top in the cap era and spending your cap wisely should be of upmost importance to management. Stating the obvious on some contracts does not diminish our appreciation of the success we have enjoyed but instead reinforces our drive to keep it as long as we can. I am not sure I will be here in another 40 years for this to happen again.

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

It made nothing but sense to buy him out, I understand its not my decision to make and you keep harping on us for giving our thoughts on the running of our team, but that's what this entire message board is for. Richards, Muffin are horrible deals for this club and saying so doesn't mean anything but sharing an opinion much like you do about someone playing good/bad. Its difficult to stay on top in the cap era and spending your cap wisely should be of upmost importance to management. Stating the obvious on some contracts does not diminish our appreciation of the success we have enjoyed but instead reinforces our drive to keep it as long as we can. I am not sure I will be here in another 40 years for this to happen again.

Sorry if it sounded like I was harping on you. I realize this is a forum for expressing ideas on what our favorite team needs. As it has turned out those that wanted to buy him out were completely right. It may have even helped Richards turn his game around. A true wakeup call so to speak. Could have been a win-win situation. Kings get cap relief and Richards starts playing like he's capable of and helps his new team to some success. Hopefully he wouldn't have signed with someone in the Pacific and do that like Anaheim or San Jose. I just wasn't ready to give up on him. Maybe me getting a Richards signed jersey as part of my season ticket holder of the game had a part in that.

I know you all want nothing but more Championships for the Kings. I'm with you on that wish. Most likely just more important to you youngsters than myself. And you all most likely know more than I do about the business and game of hockey. As a youth my only experience with playing was on a frozen pond among trees growing up through the ice in pickup games with at most 3 guys per team. A home-made puck and not very many store-bought sticks. What I've learned over the years is what I've seen out on the ice in NHL games I've attended. Mostly with biased eyes towards the Kings since my first year with season tickets in 1988.

In any event, don't pay a lot of attention to the old guy's rants and rose-colored glasses view of the Kings. It's all fun and whatever don't quit expressing your comments on what you'd like to see them do. Believe it or not I enjoy reading the views contrary to my own.

Ox

 

[davnlaguna]

True Kings are against the cap. Everyone thought Richards was a goner including most of the internet experts. All I can do now is hope that this sign of loyalty towards a player pays off in the long run. Maybe other players will respect a GM sticking by his guys

 

[Kings4OT]

What sucks is that I actually like Richards, I think he is a winner and a guy that any team should want. Problem is he isn't earning that contract and when so many players deserve to get paid you need to be very careful and pick and choose, the one time opportunity was there to ax that very long Richards contract and it was lost. At the time that contract could have been bought out and I believe the Kings could have still signed him and told him to "show us what he's got" for a longer deal....IMO that was as close to a win/win as the situation could give.

 

[Kings4OT]

True Kings are against the cap. Everyone thought Richards was a goner including most of the internet experts. All I can do now is hope that this sign of loyalty towards a player pays off in the long run. Maybe other players will respect a GM sticking by his guys

This is a 2-way street, the loyalty only goes so far until your the one not "getting paid", then your signing with another team and telling the media how much you respect that other GM that couldn't pay you.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

What sucks is that I actually like Richards, I think he is a winner and a guy that any team should want. Problem is he isn't earning that contract and when so many players deserve to get paid you need to be very careful and pick and choose, the one time opportunity was there to ax that very long Richards contract and it was lost. At the time that contract could have been bought out and I believe the Kings could have still signed him and told him to "show us what he's got" for a longer deal....IMO that was as close to a win/win as the situation could give.

I like him too, always have since he was drafted by the Flyers. Seems like his best days were with them however, which is shocking considering he is only 29. His game went south almost the moment he came here, at least statistically. He is still one of the most competitive guys in the league and does a lot of things right but just like I harp on Brown, these two are not worth the money they are being paid. With Brown it was obvious a few seasons ago, with Richards it is becoming more and more obvious by the day.

I was hoping the act of faith - a huge one considering how much time and dollars are left on his deal - would pan out but so far it is not looking like that at all. I think he will a serious candidate for a buyout when they are available next June unless he rights his ship and fast. We're not talking a one year slump here, this has been steadily going on for about 2 years.

There is no rule prohibiting a team from buying out their own player and then resigning him to a more friendly deal (although I can't think of a single guy who has done that - when they buy you out it's usually performance based, not dollar based) under the Compliance Buyout provision in summer 2013 and 2014, any of those players bought out could not resign with the team that bought them out for one season so Richards would not have been able to sign a cap friendly "show me what you can do" deal.

The Kings would then have a hole to fill but considering he is basically a B6 forward now, I think signing a guy for $2 million tops could have solved that issue.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

What I am also afraid of is that this summer some other team gives either Taffoli or Pearson an offer sheet. I can see the Oilers doing something like that.
Also, Richards and Muffin along with Brown are being over paid. What I am afraid off is that no one is going to want to take on these contacts, and the Kings will be stuck with them.

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

What I am also afraid of is that this summer some other team gives either Taffoli or Pearson an offer sheet. I can see the Oilers doing something like that.
Also, Richards and Muffin along with Brown are being over paid. What I am afraid off is that no one is going to want to take on these contacts, and the Kings will be stuck with them.

I wouldn't worry too much about Pearson and Toffoli getting offer sheets from anybody. Those are extremely rare these days. I especially can't see the Oilers giving either of them one. They need defensive help. As for overpaid players, yeah Richards is definitely overpaid as a 4th line center even though he's very good at it but Muzzin is playing top pair defense with Doughty so he's probably OK there. Even though most posters don't think he deserves to be there, Sutter does so he's getting top pair defense money. Brown has his moments but yeah they're too few and too far between. I'm not sure what he's getting paid but he's the captain and plays mostly 3rd line minutes and on occasion is put up on the top line. Unless his salary is up with Kopitar and Doughty I really don't think he's overpaid. But that's just me.

Ox

 

[Kings4OT]

My opinion on Muffin playing with DD is that Muffins mistakes could not be compensated by any other dman on the roster. I do not know if DD not putting up the points coincides with his pairing with Muffin but I would wager it does. Replace DD on that top pair with anyone else on the Kings roster and Muffin will not be top pairing.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

I wouldn't worry too much about Pearson and Toffoli getting offer sheets from anybody. Those are extremely rare these days. I especially can't see the Oilers giving either of them one. They need defensive help. As for overpaid players, yeah Richards is definitely overpaid as a 4th line center even though he's very good at it but Muzzin is playing top pair defense with Doughty so he's probably OK there. Even though most posters don't think he deserves to be there, Sutter does so he's getting top pair defense money. Brown has his moments but yeah they're too few and too far between. I'm not sure what he's getting paid but he's the captain and plays mostly 3rd line minutes and on occasion is put up on the top line. Unless his salary is up with Kopitar and Doughty I really don't think he's overpaid. But that's just me.

Ox

Hey Ox, I just googled Brown salary and its 5.75 per year. Kopi is at 7.5 and Quick is at 7. What surprised me is that Carter is at 6.25 and Richards is at 8.4.
Carter is a steal at that price, but wow Richards is just scary.

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

Hey Ox, I just googled Brown salary and its 5.75 per year. Kopi is at 7.5 and Quick is at 7. What surprised me is that Carter is at 6.25 and Richards is at 8.4.
Carter is a steal at that price, but wow Richards is just scary.

Yeah that Richards salary is a product of the stupid deal Philly gave him. His cap hit is something over $5M I think. Still too high for his job with the Kings I'll admit.

Ox

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I'm pretty sure Toffoli and Pearson won't be eligible for Offer Sheets because they have less than 3 years NHL experience (I'll have to double check but 99% sure). In that case, the Kings need not worry.

They really wouldn't anyway, there have only been 8 Offer Sheets in the NHL since 2005 - it's extremely rare and all it does is piss off your fellow GM who you may need a favor/player from down the road. It's an unwritten rule not many GMs break.

Richards' contract is insane, but let's also remember the Flyers wrote it, not LA. Dumbo has to figure out what to do with it however.

 

[Kings4OT]

It is exactly why the buyout was the solution, you may as well consider Dumbo "writing" it as he did not dump it. Even if he doubled his production that contract is dubious which is why I was for getting rid of it despite my liking of his style of play.

 

[pete6835]

Richards passes are always either way behind his target or way ahead and it kills many shifts up the ice.

This buyout that didn't happen is a fault from Dumbo, in a nearly perfect couple years.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

My opinion on Muffin playing with DD is that Muffins mistakes could not be compensated by any other dman on the roster. I do not know if DD not putting up the points coincides with his pairing with Muffin but I would wager it does. Replace DD on that top pair with anyone else on the Kings roster and Muffin will not be top pairing.

Muffin isn't a T2 defender by any stretch of the imagination. I would classify him as a second pairing defender at best, a 3-4. Still way too many mistakes for my taste even though he has some pretty extensive experience behind him.

Interesting POV on him, never really looked at it this way. Doughty was most successful when he was paired with a SAH defender, early in his career it was Scuderi and Mitchell. Pairing him with Muzzin does indeed make him play a little more conservative it seems.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

It is exactly why the buyout was the solution, you may as well consider Dumbo "writing" it as he did not dump it. Even if he doubled his production that contract is dubious which is why I was for getting rid of it despite my liking of his style of play.

Not much we anyone can do about it, all we can hope for is that Richards' play improves. If not, he will most likely be bought out next summer.

I guess the Flyers need to get at least one laugh out of this whole deal, right?

=)~~

 

[Kings4OT]

I guess the Flyers need to get at least one laugh out of this whole deal, right?

=)~~

No chance, no matter how this plays out Richards was instrumental in that 1st cup win and was worth that deal every time. I know the Flyer fans kept saying they won that deal bigtime but I still do not see the rewards or consistency on their side that they insist the future would bring.

I totally agree on Muffin being at best a 3-4 guy without DD.