NHL gives LA Kings cap relief after Slava Voynov domestic violence charge
The Los Angeles Kings have finally seen the “dysfunctional” cap situation created by Slava Voynov’s suspension cleared up.
From the NHL on Friday night:
The National Hockey League announced today that the existing terms of its suspension of Los Angeles Kings’ Player Slava Voynov will be continued indefinitely.
However, in light of the uncertain and potentially extended period of time that the legal process may entail, the NHL and NHLPA have agreed to permit the Kings to replace Mr. Voynov’s Salary and Bonuses pursuant to the Bona Fide Long-Term Injury Exception under the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Thus, Voynov’s $4.1 million salary cap space is finally freed up. He’s still suspended without pay, as he was charged with a felony on Thursday for “corporal injury to a spouse with great bodily harm.” If convicted, he could face up to nine years in prison and possible deportation.
The Kings had been vocal about being in cap space limbo with the Voynov suspension. With under a million in cap space, they recently signed journeyman Jamie McBain for the league minimum to help on defense.
"How long is this supposed to go on? It's clear that the system is dysfunctional," Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi said. "It has nothing to do with what he did. What he did is off to the side. That's indefensible. But if a guy does steroids — that's indefensible in its own right, too, but they're separate issues — you immediately get the cap space. What's ridiculous about this, if he gets convicted we get the cap space. If he doesn't, we're in never-never land. We get nothing. It's totally dysfunctional."
Well, the NHL would probably call it “uncharted territory.” But based on how things have shifted from the way it handled Semyon Varlamov’s arrest last season to Voynov’s this season, “making it up as we go along” might be more accurate.
