The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded winger David Clarkson to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for right wing Nathan Horton.
David Clarkson shipped to Columbus for Nathan Horton.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hats off to Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis. He dealt what was universally considered the NHL’s most untradeable contract. Clarkson is in the second year of a seven-year, $36.75 million contract, which was structured in such a way that it is thought to be buyout-proof. Clarkson also has a modified no-trade and no-movement clause, which supposedly made this deal almost impossible for the Leafs to move.
However, Nonis found a loophole, that being a team with an injured winger on an uninsured contract who might never play again they wanted to move. So, the deep-pocketed Leafs take on the remainder of Horton’s seven-year, $37.5 million contract, which won’t count against their cap as they’ll perpetually place him on LTIR until the contract expires in five years time. It’s possible Horton could return to action one day, but if that were the case, the Jackets would’ve kept him.
So, The Blue Jackets take on a toxic contract, but at least it’s one for a serviceable player who might improve away from the Toronto hothouse. The Leafs shed a bad contract for an under-performing player and take back one they can put on LTIR if Horton never returns to action. And if Horton does return, he’s a better player (when healthy) than Clarkson.
So take everything you think you know about what can and can’t be done and throw it out the window people… If Clarkson could get traded, anybody can…
Wait for post March 2nd when the Toronto Marlies are all playing at the ACC… And Kadri…
Thanks Lyle, you had the info which I could only guess at – that Horton’s contract was uninsured. Now this trade makes a lot more sense, and it is surprisingly creative.
Now watch all the Leaf fans praise Nonis for this trade as one of the greatest. It is not the greatest. It was a good move for both teams. One that is capable of going somewhere and the other, well…. Not for a few years.
At least they are actually starting the rebuild. Now if they can move Phaneuf and Kessel. Kessel probably in the off season. Shanahan is doing well. Lastly, now you guys can forget about Babcock for sure. He won’t be coaching a rebuild team.
Well done by Nonis/Shani, they managed to dump Clarkson without having to retain any of his salary. Which leaves them able to retain salary on one of their other bad contracts if they need to. Makes sense for Columbus as well as they were just forking over cash for Horton, now they’ve got a warm body for that cash.
They got a lot more for Winnik than I thought they would as well. Picking up a 2nd rounder for a bargain basement FA pickup is a very good return.
Nonis is the idiot that signed the contract in the first place , and then managed to trade a guy that was not living up to the contract to a team for a more expensive guy that probably won’t play at all , how is this applause worthy ? I understand he makes cap space , but let’s not make him out to be anything more than a moron who is lucky that the team owners don’t care about wasting another 30 million dollars on nothing for the next five years.Those that think this should save his job are depriving villages of perfectly good idiots [ thanks Milbury ] .
I was very much of the “fire Nonis” school earlier this season. But I’ve had cause to reconsider, not because of what he’s done in the past week, but because of what was reported about Shanahan’s strategy earlier this season.
The Leafs thought they were a piece away from making a serious run. They were obviously on glue, but they really believed it. To the point: MLSEL believed it. I think the board insisted that Toronto had to belly up to the table with the other 9 Clarkson suitors, and get him here. Supposedly he took a pay cut to come here, as hard as that is to believe.
Clarkson was supposed to be *giggle* the final piece in a run for the Cup. If you ignore what he’s actually done here and put yourself back to the point we signed him, you can maybe see how — if your blue and white glasses are firmly in place — this might have been an assumption they made. The guy was advertised as a leader, a gritty in your face player who could also pot dirty goals. He did do some of that in NJ…just not enough to justify what we paid him, regardless of who else was at the table–but again, the Leafs thought they were close and it’s only money.
Even this season, at the beginning, the Leafs were progressing like a team that thought it was progressing. They kept the coach, only removing the assistants who were supposedly in change of the PK and defense. They kept their core as is because everybody *but* Shanahan thought it would work. I’m pretty sure Shanahan, given the player he was (couldn’t we use a couple of Shannys in their prime?), knew immediately upon coming here that the core was rotten…but I now think he was outvoted. Fine, he said, we’ll keep it in place for one more chance.
And then this happened. This being the 18 wheeler going off the cliff, landing in the ocean, sinking, and then tunnelling through the bedrock. I can just picture Shanny going to the Board and saying “I told you so…NOW will you let us (including Nonis) do what needs to be done around here?”
Nice loophole in the CBA…it is cap circumvention as the rich teams (Burins, Flyers, now Leafs) can still flex their financial muscle and alter their cap via LTIR.
Good job by both GMs.
On a personal note, I hope Horton one day can lace them back up…to have your career cut short in your prime years is such a tragedy which no one deserves.
Ron
What have the Bruins done to circumvent the LTIR???
CR
How is every NHL contract not insured?
It’s my understanding it’s a season by season thing. Horton was recovering from shoulder surgery leading up to this season and his contract was uninsured until cleared to return to action. However, his back problem flared up and kept him out of the lineup.
the leafs as usual make a nothing move clarkson is gone yes they clear capspace but they will spend that on another clarkson i have faith in them…remember nonis was on the team that thought he was a great signing ie the loafs
Im kinda sad, I really liked Clarkson’s energy and attitude… his contract just sucked is all…
I’m Confused why didn’t Columbus just put Horton on LTIR. Why pick up a bad contract.
Could have used the cap space elsewhere. Did they just not want to pay Horton the money. Also I though players on LTIR can’t be traded.
Dave, with Horton’s contract being uninsured and the Jackets being a (very) small-market team, they didn’t want to pay $30M for Horton to never play for them, regardless of it not counting against the cap. The Leafs and their deep pockets care more about the cap room than the wasted money.
Crazy trade.
Injured players cannot be bought out. They can be traded. Normally teams will include a clause in the trade pending physical. E.Kane was also traded while injured
A good indicator of why guys like Nonis get the big bucks and we armchair GMs are generally clueless. No one – and I mean NO ONE – saw that one coming and after the dust clears and you understand the implications for a) a budget team and b) a free-spending outfit like TO, it makes perfect sense. Now, at least, Columbus has a body to fill out the cash payout and the Leafs have some cap wiggle room. Also, in the long run, and whoever is running the Leafs in the future, I don’t think you’ll be seeing too many more long-term deals with potential to ham-string their roster.
I will admit that when I first heard of this trade I was shaking my head given that there was no real benefit that I could see to this deal other than to offload Clarkson’s contract. Upon further reflection and reading, this deal makes sense as it now frees up cap space.
That being said, my biggest fear as a long time leafs fan is that with the additional cap room the much needed rebuild is going to be a piecemeal debacle again. There has been approval to blow the team up and rebuild, but, much like after the Leafs started the last “retool” and were seemingly making strides in the “right direction only to make the playoffs and chose to “go for broke” as opposed to staying the course.
Of course, while this opens up a lot of cap room to allow the Leafs a competitive team, there IS a downside for Leafs fans. Horton’s $30M might not count against the cap, but it sure will count against your ticket prices.
They have to pay that $30M somehow! (well, more accurately, YOU have to pay it somehow!)
Actually fans of all the Canadian teams will help out with that, its one of the perks of having team owners that have all the broadcast rights to the NHL. Next time you pay your cable bill or purchase a centerice package you are doing your part in paying for Hortons retirement fund….thanks Rogers & Bell!
🙂
… and you can bet each bill will increase a few bucks to make SURE it comes out of our pockets and not theirs.
Why is Nonis getting any credit for this when Columbus proposed this deal to the Leafs? Toronto fans should be happy that Clarkson’s gone, but to give their front office any credit for this is ridiculous.
While I commend the creativity in getting out from under Clarkson’s cap hit, a $30 million mistake is usually a firing offence.
Do you honestly believe it is possible to offer players contracts, sign free agents and make trades without ever making a mistake? The more money you handle, the more likely you will eventually make an expensive mistake.