Last season, no. This season it would be okay. This season he has looked more like an NHL player than last year where he was just awful. However, he is still something around the age of 30, and I would rather play a younger guy on the 4th line over him. The NHL has become a fast game and Clarkson's style is becoming less and less suited for the league. I think there are only a few teams where Clarkson could become a good player again and Columbus is one of them. Others being teams such as Anaheim, LA or Winnipeg. Time will tell how he does in a different style.
David Clarkson
- Thread starter Swervin81
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Last season, no. This season it would be okay. This season he has looked more like an NHL player than last year where he was just awful. However, he is still something around the age of 30, and I would rather play a younger guy on the 4th line over him. The NHL has become a fast game and Clarkson's style is becoming less and less suited for the league. I think there are only a few teams where Clarkson could become a good player again and Columbus is one of them. Others being teams such as Anaheim, LA or Winnipeg. Time will tell how he does in a different style.
SeenSchenn2
Itchin' For Mitch
Murphy had a hall-of-fame career behind him when he came to Toronto. David Clarkson had a 100 game stretch of playing like a 2nd liner amid a career as a 3rd liner. It's a huge difference.
The fact Larry Murphy had a HOF career behind him when he came to Toronto only exemplifies DeBoer's comment that "Toronto is an unforgiving market." Murphy won 2 cups before the leafs, when traded to Detroit from the Leafs, he was a contributor to Detroit for 2 more cups. But when he was in Toronto he was booed & treated like the player from hell. He wasn't, good, then became crap & then became good again. The pressure, the media, the fans & the expectations all culminated into him not working out here & much like with Clarkson, everyone was celebrating when he was traded.
I don't know the intent of your post but if the fans, media, personal expectations & expectations of others could affect a HOF player, they sure as hell could have affected a player of Clarkson's ilk.
Bomber0104
Registered User
Larry Murphy and David Clarkson can not be compared to one another.
It's just not right.
A better comparable would be Colby Armstrong.
It's just not right.
A better comparable would be Colby Armstrong.
Don't worry, they are not being compared to one another & the extremity of the differences brings out the point even more. If it can happen to a HOF like Larry Murphy, it can happen to a 3rd line player.
HellasLEAF
'93 to Infinity
- Sep 14, 2006
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A poor player is a poor player. The Murphy comparison is just off.
How dare they blame the fans, the market, or anything else for his poor play.
Was given every opportunity to succeed here as well. To a fault.
How dare they blame the fans, the market, or anything else for his poor play.
Was given every opportunity to succeed here as well. To a fault.
Murphy was misunderstood here, fans didn't appreciate his skill set and what he brought.
Clarkson was underperforming. Whether you thought he was going to be a 30 point player or a useful top 6 player, he underperformed.
Clarkson was underperforming. Whether you thought he was going to be a 30 point player or a useful top 6 player, he underperformed.
I don't understand why the team gets any blame at all. They kept him on the PP as much as they could. They played him with our best center (Kadri), who is known for improving his wingers' point totals. They shuffled him throughout the lineup, desperately trying to find a fit.
He sucks, plain and simple. And it's his fault. Jonas Siegel made a great point. Clarkson regularly skipped optional skates. If you're a professional, and you're playing as bad as Clarkson did, wouldn't you at least put in extra time on the ice?
Everything I've ever heard about his intangibles and leadership is complete BS. He's a nice person, who does a lot of charity work. That's great. But he's not a good player, nor is he a good leader.
Larry Murphy's problem was that he was a scholar in an organization that demands war heroes.
David Clarkson's problem was that he couldn't skate, couldn't learn a new system, and couldn't score.
Murphy was attacked for what he wasn't; Clarkson for what he was.
David Clarkson's problem was that he couldn't skate, couldn't learn a new system, and couldn't score.
Murphy was attacked for what he wasn't; Clarkson for what he was.
Daisy Jane
everything is gonna be okay!
- Jul 2, 2009
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well, I don't know. apparently it's the fans fault now.
from the get go, all I heard was "I like David Clarkson, I hate the contract." It really seemed to me a lot of people were willing to put the contract aside to accept Clarkson.
I heard the deBoer interview and he's like "In any other market, Clarkson jumping off the bench, would be a good thing, he'd be seen as a hero, in Toronto, he's being call stupid for doing it."
BECAUSE IT WAS STUPID. it's a 10 game suspension for jumping off the bench. And when that Ariziona player did it but appealed because "no one saw, and it was a line change." guess what, MOST PEOPLE WERE SAYING IT WAS STUPID TOO.
Everyone was excited for him to come back (vs. Columbus, ironically). It was when it became clear that he was struggling, people started to be harsh on him - and I was one of those people (Cor too, it was like we were shouting at a brick wall) - that David Clarkson could not be this bad. there was a good portion of the media who were saying the same things. And then there became a point where you had to stop using that as a factor. (and even I gave him extra benefit of the doubt because of his bursitis which is horrendous).
This season he gets into a senseless fight, breaks his orbital bone, misses a few games but played decent. and everyone was like, yay! Caged Clarkson! and then his play slumped. And as much as you want to be all "unfair." when you're given all of that powerplay time and 300 NHL players have more points than your 1 - it's now becomes indicative of you.
Clarkson was the one dragging his linemates down, Clarkson almost always found himself on the ice, Clarkson is the one where plays died on his stick. He wasn't very good no matter where he was put.
Ferraro, as funny as it is - pretty much said it best "I can't think of anything that David Clarkson is doing well."
And then he gets benched. (where a lot of people championed against that), and it's not his fault (according to him).
and now this is similar to Larry Murphy? (I can't comment on that. I don't even think I was born then -or I was very young).
David Clarkson was given plenty of opportunities to succeed, and he didn't, and that is a shame, but to have this summed as "Toronto's" fault just irritates me to no end.
Sonic Disturbance
Grandmaster User
- Jan 1, 2009
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How was Clarkson not given the right opportunities? He was slotted last year quite frequently with Kadri, (or Bolland when he was healthy) our best center and Lupul/Kulemin on the wing. He was given powerplay time even thought it wasn't earned. He was never a healthy scratch last year even though he was getting outplayed by guys like Troy Bodie. This year, he spent quite a bit of time with Komarov/Santorelli, two of our better ES players in a grinding/secondary-scoring line. He was given 2nd PP time (over Kadri! initially) even though he sucked and guys like Santo should've been slotted in earlier. He had a nice start statistically and was only a healthy scratch a couple times even though guys like Kozun deserved ice time over him easily.
Clarkson blames everyone except himself for his play. We kept hearing about his intangibles and character, but failing to take accountability for your actions is not a sign of those traits. Disappointed in hearing his and his agents comments.
Yea, fans are so much more educated these days.
I have come to the conclusion that most posters here were in diapers or just a glint in their father's eye when Murphy played here.
Bomber0104
Registered User
At this point, I'm beyond caring.
We know what he is.
He's gone, and let's all just breathe a collective sigh of relief.
I was at MLG watching him get boo'ed.
Plenty of leafs fans are idiots. They were then and they are now. Doesn't change the fact Murphy should have never been run out of town.
Daisy Jane
everything is gonna be okay!
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poor Columbus.
(poor me because they're generally the team I watch if the Leafs aren't playing).
Let's put it this way. If the Leafs got $1M in additional cap for having clarkson, I still wouldnt want him. He has negative value.
poor Columbus.
(poor me because they're generally the team I watch if the Leafs aren't playing).
Ouch, I'm sorry to hear. Salt in the wound.
Suntouchable13
Registered User
poor Columbus.
(poor me because they're generally the team I watch if the Leafs aren't playing).
You just can't escape Clarkson, can you?
Sorry for laughing, but it's funny to me 
Daisy Jane
everything is gonna be okay!
- Jul 2, 2009
- 70,284
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You just can't escape Clarkson, can you?
like it literally just hit me today. I was like tralalalala Clarkson is really gone!! then i was like.. wait a minute. He's going to Columbus? damnit. but i am honestly intrigued how he'll play there.
FlareKnight
Registered User
I guess it's because of the good thing Clarkson does in the community and off the ice, but still amazing how he gets so little criticism from media for his god awful play. At some point a hockey player has to be judged for what he's doing on the ice, not what he's doing off of it.
As to the question of how Clarkson would be viewed if he had been only paid 1 million per year....he'd probably be in the AHL. Wouldn't have been any issue waiving him at that point.
As to the question of how Clarkson would be viewed if he had been only paid 1 million per year....he'd probably be in the AHL
. Wouldn't have been any issue waiving him at that point.Yeah, it's win/win for both sides. They have problems they can live with.
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