Here is the conundrum. We know they aren't officially "suspended", but the question is are they still receiving paychecks? Do they get payed for games lost due to lockout injury? We know that the team doesn't have to pay them, but is the team paying them regardless, or are they saying, "you missed a couple of days of work and that is coming off your pay". Obviously, it is different with a contracted individual, but there were provisions during the lockout for this sort of thing.
I love Mitchell and I support his decision. If he says he isn't ready to play, then he isn't ready to play. He would never intentionally hurt the team and he isn't the kind of player to drag something like this out, so I trust his judgement. But it is mind boggling to me if the Kings have been paying him all this time, not to mention it makes zero business sense for AEG. He may not be officially suspended, but are they paying him for an injury he received during the offseason, and now after having been cleared of it, he still refuses to play?
I know they want the player to still be around the team, seen by the medical staff, going through their therapy and rehabilitation, and also have access to skating and workout facilities, and they don't want to kick them out and detach them from these services, but do they still have to pay them during this time if they have access to those things and refuse to play?