Defenseman Rethinking Stance On No-Movement Clause:
McCabe May Become Fletcher’s Latest Deposed Star
After a 23-point season in 2007-08, Bryan McCabe could be in his way out of Toronto if he waives his no-movement clause
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher is apparently determined to have the 2008-09 version of his team look vastly different from the one sported at the Air Canada Centre over the past few seasons. Having eliminated Andrew Raycroft, Kyle Wellwood and Darcy Tucker from Toronto’s roster while subsequently replacing them with the likes of Niklas Hagman, Jeff Finger, Curtis Joseph, Jamal Mayers and Ryan Hollweg, Fletcher has pieced together a very new on-ice product. With Mats Sundin future as a member of the Maple Leafs, and the entire NHL for that matter, still in limbo, this drastic change could be all that more noticeable when the puck drops in October.
Fletcher’s sights are currently set on ridding Toronto of another player who’s worn the blue and white for several seasons. Defenseman Bryan McCabe has been on Fletcher’s trade radar since prior to the draft. He has been able to foil the GM’s position on moving him thanks to a no-movement clause in his contract. But the feeling of being pushed out by the team has apparently caused some discomfort for McCabe. As a result, he may be prepared to give Fletcher what he wants by waiving his no-movement clause.
If he chooses to waive the clause, McCabe is likely to be picky on where he ends up. I doubt he’ll accept a trade anywhere other than to a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup. And that leaves Fletcher with the job of finding such a team that has enough room on the roster and in payroll to bring on the 33-year old, 12-year veteran. McCabe still has three years remaining on his current contract with salaries of $6.15 million next year and $4.15 million in 2009-10 and 2010-11. His annual hit toward the salary cap is $5.75 million.
Prior to last season, I would have figured it a no-brainer to bring aboard a defenseman the caliber of McCabe at under $6 million, especially considering the market of the NHL these days. In the year prior to the lock and the two following it, McCabe posted seasons with over 50 points and proved a be a great blue line goal scorer and power play contributor. He also provided a physical edge with over 86 penalty minutes in 2003-04 and over 110 in each of the 2005-06 and 2006-07 campaigns.
Unfortunately, McCabe’s production slipped immensely last year, reverting back to numbers he posted during his days with the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks.
Cliff Fletcher
Is leaving his thumbprint on the Maple Leafs |
Contrary to those years of his career, it must be considered that McCabe only suited up for 54 games last season thanks to groin and hand injuries. But in that time, he only posted 23 points and five goals. Over the course of a full 82-game schedule, he would have scored just 34 points. In a more reasonable 75 games, McCabe would have been a 31-point producer.
While it’s entirely possible that was just a fluke season torn down by injuries, there’s simply no guarantee he’ll return to 50-plus point production. And there’s just no room in today’s NHL to pay a defenseman, who isn’t exactly the greatest in his own zone, $5.75 million on average over three years when he’s only going to post 25-30 points.
Any team looking to acquire McCabe will hope he’s capable of returning to the form of a top two defenseman. But those same teams should also have some depth in case he’s not completely healthy and/or has really lost a bit of his offensive touch. And since McCabe’s destination would likely already be a contender, I would think depth wouldn’t be too much of an issue.
This is a situation McCabe should be more than willing to take advantage of. I whole-heartedly believe he should be thrilled about the chance to leave the cluster that is the Maple Leafs and embrace the possibility of continuing his career outside of Toronto. I can’t for the life of me understand why these players are so reluctant to leave Toronto, especially since the team has been nothing more than a laughing stock for the past few years. Based on the moves made by Fletcher this offseason and Sundin’s tenure with the team likely coming to a close, I don’t anticipate the Maple Leafs doing any better next season. A fresh start in another city could actually be a reprieve for McCabe.
Soon enough, I think he’ll realize that it’s really in his best interest to give the team what it wants and allow Fletcher to continue his questionable rampage over the Maple Leafs’ roster.
Photo Credit: Cliff Fletcher – cbc.ca
