Especially problematic for the Kings will be the buyout cap hit in the third and fourth years, $4.216 million and $4.216 million, according to the website capfriendly.com.

This is fucked. Donald Fehr better be all over this.

As others have pointed out on Twitter, the Kings still have a man brought up on domestic violence charges on the roster, and even allowed him to practice with the team in a flagrant violation of league rules. So unless Mike Richards drop kicked a few babies and we didn't hear about it, this is all kinds of shady.

Drugs?

Several sources told ESPN.com the Kings were made aware of the situation Friday, approximately an hour after the first round of the 2015 NHL draft had begun.

The team was already in the process of trying to trade him -- discussions were in place with both the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames -- but Kings general manager Dean Lombardi immediately informed both teams upon learning about the situation that he had no prior knowledge of the incident and halted those talks, according to a source.

It is not immediately clear when said incident took place.

A close friend of mine's girlfriend is from Kenora, Ontario who know the Richards family. Apparently he was caught smuggling illegal drugs across the Canadian border, unprescribed Oxycontin (among others).....

It’s worth noting that this is a civil case, not a criminal case, though the nanny “has suffered mental anguish, medical treatment, physical pain and suffering, physical impairment, humiliation, shame, fright and damage to her reputation…”

Mike Richards has no charges pending per the RCMP. A lot of guys familiar with sports labour contract disputes think this will get overturned, the breach is not serious enough to warrant termination and the NHLPA will never allow such a matter to set a precedent.

I'll bet on Donald Fehr on this one. He got terminations overturned in the MLB for various legal issues, he'll fight his ass off and win for the NHLPA here.

Mike Richards, whose contract has been terminated by the Los Angeles Kings, is part of an ongoing investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for an off-ice incident, a source told ESPN.com on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the RCMP in Manitoba told ESPN that, as of Tuesday, no charges have been brought against Richards but declined to comment further.

The source said that Canadian Border Services is also involved in the investigation, but a spokesperson declined comment, citing Canadian privacy laws.

Personally I think non-guaranteed contracts are just what the NHL needs.