I would do the same thing as GMGM. Too many soft people on here worried about appearances and promises you can't even say for sure were extended. Guy signed a contract, these things are part of being an NHL player. There will always be another guy working his ass off to beat you out of a job, why wasn't Ship ready for that challenge?
Being a GM is tough at times, calls for making a lot of decisions fans don't agree with who fall for nonsense such as free agents left for "nothing" and the guys you have in your building now are always worth more than guys who are not. Few GMs have the power and the guts to stick to a good plan once it gets a little difficult. This will be one of his easier decisions really. Most players who conduct themselves professionally will see a player who didn't practice or prepare hard who shows up and acts like he can dictate terms to his coach and management.
The only real blowback that comes from this is from agents who will then lie and deny as much as they can to keep their players away from a certain GM. It happens and maybe you can't get a player or two down the road, so be it. No player who really makes a difference was coming to you as a free agent in those situations anyways.
