I don't think there is any way it IS about drugs. If it were, they'd have to offer the behavioral program. I suspect it is about conditioning. But I'm not sure how you quantify it. He had promised to take conditioning seriously last off season. And when he showed up not in better shape they were pretty furious. It will be interesting to see it play out.
- bodiva88

Especially interesting, should conditioning be the reason, is how do you quantify it now?

If it was a drug problem, is that why they sent him down the AHL? That seems odd. And odder still, they recalled him.

The whole thing stinks of a money dump, and shirking responsibilities, trying to rewrite history (should have used the compliance buyout last season), and I hope the Kings get burned for it.

What stage of grief are they in now? Anger? Denial? Acceptance?
- AllInForFlyers

They are flogging themselves and burning Bruin jerseys

What stage of grief are they in now? Anger? Denial? Acceptance?
- AllInForFlyers

the first 2; not the last. but the comments are priceless. they are pretty good here too

What stage of grief are they in now? Anger? Denial? Acceptance?
- AllInForFlyers

Only Bruin fan I follow is on Twitter and he's in the deepest level of hell.

From what i read the recapture penalties now kick in which is 1.5 mil and some change, so they gained 4.4 mil of cap space.
- flyerfan28

I can't believe the league is going to let them use that space -- that would be insane, if he grieves and they can still spend

I actually liked all three of their picks, it was the "in the first round" that was the issue. No way do you take Senyshyn that high I loved every time I saw that guy play for the Soo. He was buried a little on that team but he's still a second rounder. They could easily have traded back and grabbed additional picks and still gotten DeBrusk. That organization completely froze/panicked when the AZ pick fell through I think.
- mayorofangrytown

Yeah all three can play, but where they took them, and the guys on the board...easily could have traded back and got all three of them.

damn, I love Hexy. Can't believe Rinaldo got a 3rd.

Also, seems Richards isn't getting one penny of his Kings contract. Can't wait til the details come out.

From what i read the recapture penalties now kick in which is 1.5 mil and some change, so they gained 4.4 mil of cap space.
- flyerfan28

I wonder, has the decision been officially challenged? And would that change anything?

The decision is definitely going to court, and I would imagine the NHL is going to do their own due diligence. The question is, are the Kings free and clear of Richards' cap hit until a determination is made, or will they be forced to carry it.

The NHLPA will not be pleased, and I would imagine the Kings aren't exactly setting themselves up as a FA destination with a move like this.
- wolfhounds

Depending on what the reason is, most guys likely see themselves as never possibly putting themselves in that position.

The decision is definitely going to court, and I would imagine the NHL is going to do their own due diligence. The question is, are the Kings free and clear of Richards' cap hit until a determination is made, or will they be forced to carry it.

The NHLPA will not be pleased, and I would imagine the Kings aren't exactly setting themselves up as a FA destination with a move like this.
- wolfhounds

The NHL says the Kings are clear.

Not sure how they'll back track if it goes the other way.

Depending on what the reason is, most guys likely see themselves as never possibly putting themselves in that position.
- bodiva88

Sure, depending upon the reason. Still, slippery slopes and all that.

So Carolina, NYI, us, Edmonton and Buffalo have made the best moves this offseason so far

And the Kings, usually one of the best managed teams, just terminated the contract of a team guy instead of a GF beater and cocaine sniffer

has hell offficially frozen over? What is this?

The NHL says the Kings are clear.

Not sure how they'll back track if it goes the other way.
- mayorofangrytown

Really? Wow. That's pretty (frank)ed. Gonna be interesting if that's the final word on the matter.

How do you like that.

Rinaldo has more value than grossman
- Just5

He does? The Flyers not only got a draft pick in return, they got Arizona to take on how much cap space? You might be correct if you feel that cap space isn't an asset.

Only Bruin fan I follow is on Twitter and he's in the deepest level of hell.
- bodiva88

You know it's gonna be hilarious when they hit acceptance, when they try to rationalize what has happened to them

"Hey, maybe Rinaldo can get eight or 10 goals -- Philadelphia didn't use him right"

"Dougie Hamilton wasn't that good. We won't miss those 40 points"

"In two years, Jake DeBrusk is gonna win the Calder"

Really? Wow. That's pretty (frank)ed. Gonna be interesting if that's the final word on the matter.
- wolfhounds

From Sportsnet:

The remainder of his contract was terminated Monday for “material breach,” deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed to Sportsnet, which means that his salary no longer counts against the Kings cap and the 30-year-old centre is officially a free agent.

Meaning that they have cap flexibility and don't have an inordinate number of contracts with excessive term and cap hits.

I'm fairly certain when the season starts, that we are not going to see the Flyers being closer to the salary floor than they are to the cap.

To me, Phaneuf's contract is one that I would avoid like the plague. Too long, too much money for a guy who is closer to the end of his career than to the beginning of his career.

I hope that clears things up a little.
- Doc_Sarcasm

Here's the real point I want to make. All the cap panic that ensues every year, was really unjustified. If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times. There are always ways to create and add cap space. We've seen that recently. The Flyers were always up against the Cap, because they chose to be, not because they mismanaged the cap. All the talk that this player can't be traded, this player has no value, and we're stuck with this player, is really a waste of emotion. The cap is still not really understood by most. You're in cap hell when you're forced to move players you don't want to trade, not when you make decisions to move less relevant players by choice. Right now, the Flyers are looking at about 7.5M of available cap space, and they could easily boost that up to about 10.5M or more if they wanted to.

Especially interesting, should conditioning be the reason, is how do you quantify it now?

If it was a drug problem, is that why they sent him down the AHL? That seems odd. And odder still, they recalled him.

The whole thing stinks of a money dump, and shirking responsibilities, trying to rewrite history (should have used the compliance buyout last season), and I hope the Kings get burned for it.
- wolfhounds

agreed

What a time to be alive

so this is what its like to have a good GM who trades FOR draft picks and builds through the draft...

since i've been alive this has never happened with us. This is new ground for me

And Oilers are my 2nd favorite team so that really explains everything...
- FLYERSROCK!

How old are you? Do you remember when Holmgren traded Jeff Carter for Jake Voracek and the 8th overall pick in the draft? That was in 2011

I don't think there is any way it IS about drugs. If it were, they'd have to offer the behavioral program. I suspect it is about conditioning. But I'm not sure how you quantify it. He had promised to take conditioning seriously last off season. And when he showed up not in better shape they were pretty furious. It will be interesting to see it play out.
- bodiva88

I agree. Don't see it about drugs. I think it's about what he's not doing, versus anything he did.

You know why it's such a horrible, horrible trade?

It isn't that Rinaldo is a fourth-liner with discipline issues. That's fine. Maybe you need a fourth-liner.

It isn't even that you gave up a third for a guy who has routinely been a healthy scratch. Hell, maybe you think you see something special.

It's the combination of those plus the fact that FA is LESS THAN 48 HOURS AWAY!

You can find a player like Zac Rinaldo in FA and not give up an asset, OR if you don't like anything you see, call the Flyers after you looked! You don't know what might shake free after that initial rush of movement -- maybe a team signs a guy and a player better than Rinaldo becomes redundant, and you can offer the third for that player!

There is no reason whatsoever to close that deal prior to FA -- none
- AllInForFlyers

That player may cost you more money in free agency. It's not really a bad trade. Chances are, Rinaldo is a better player than who you take in the 3rd round, which is a player with very low odds of making it as a regular in the NHL. The flip side is that you could also get lucky, and pick a better player, but the odds are against it.

Feels good to have a GM doing the right things for now and the future.
Greatful "Rinny" to no longer dawn the orange

From what i read the recapture penalties now kick in which is 1.5 mil and some change, so they gained 4.4 mil of cap space.
- flyerfan28

Wouldn't recapture penalties only come into play if Richards retired early?

How old are you? Do you remember when Holmgren traded Jeff Carter for Jake Voracek and the 8th overall pick in the draft? That was in 2011
- MJL

Or Richards for Schenn and Simmonds?