Should we trade Clarkson?

[Hockey Talker29]

Clarkson has been a complete bust so far. I know that it's early, but I don't think it's unfair to say that he will be drastically overpaid for the duration of his 7-year contract.

I think it would be worth it to cut ties now, if possible. I'm guessing we would have to unload a pick and/or a prospect in the deal, but I think it would be the best course of action for the organization. Perhaps we could unload him to one of the other teams that was bidding for him. Maybe they would still be interested with a little added incentive.

His cap hit will almost certainly prevent us from upgrading on defense, while keeping Bolland and Raymond around.

In short, his cap hit will cost us a lot in terms of depth, and despite his character and intangibles, he just doesn't seem worth the risk to me.

Thoughts?

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[666]

Clarkson has negative value. He basically can't be traded even if he waived whatever NTC he has. The Leafs are stuck with him, so let's find a role for him and live with it. /THEAD

 

[Run705]

I was pretty ticked the second Nonis signed him. He's the forward version of Komisarek.

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

@OP: Question should be: If available, will any team trade for Clarkson? (at full salary)



P.S.: I voted No to the actual question.

 

[Banic]

He is at least noticeable every game. I will get flamed for it, but the hate fest is pretty much unwarranted besides him not putting up huge points, but who is right now.

 

[Erndog]

Awful signing. About 4-5 years too long and $3M too much. It's devastatingly bad.

The good news is the rumour has the cap being increased quite significantly over the next several years.

Nobody would trade for Clarkson.

 

[Grant]

Lucky for Clarkson he still has over 6.5 seasons to win me over.

 

[SprDaVE]

I guess I'm the only one that has liked the signing and that thinks he's been playing fairly well?

I'll be over there.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

We should have never signed him in the first place with Kessel, Lupul, JVR here.

One of Lupul or Clarkson will eventually have to go for cap purposes if we're to add a high end center or D.

I believe Clarkson is the same player we was in Jersey but now with a terrible contract and we just see him much more often now.

If we do trade Clarkson I'm betting we'd end up taking on a bad contract but with a shorterer term (like Ruutu, Volchenkov, Jones, Leino, etc.).

 

[Primary Assist]

Can we trade him? No, he has the no trade clause.

Could we trade him if he didn't have the no trade clause? If we can't trade Liles we can't trade Clarkson.

Could we trade him if his salary was lower? Yes, so just sneak into the NHL's contract room (I found the address on a pop tart bag one time) and erase several 0's from his salary. Either that, or teach him how to make a pass while actually looking where he wants the puck to go.

 

[Hockey Talker29]

Clarkson has negative value. He basically can't be traded even if he waived whatever NTC he has. The Leafs are stuck with him, so let's find a role for him and live with it. /THEAD

Hypothetically, what if we included our 2014 1st rounder in the deal?

Is that too much a price to pay?

What's the breaking point where we would rather keep him than trade him?

I'm not saying we should trade a 1st. But I want to get an idea of how disappointed Leafs fans are with him. What would they do to get out of this contract?

 

[wulfio*]

Clarkson has been a complete bust so far. I know that it's early, but I don't think it's unfair to say that he will be drastically overpaid for the duration of his 7-year contract.

I think it would be worth it to cut ties now, if possible. I'm guessing we would have to unload a pick and/or a prospect in the deal, but I think it would be the best course of action for the organization. Perhaps we could unload him to one of the other teams that was bidding for him. Maybe they would still be interested with a little added incentive.

His cap hit will almost certainly prevent us from upgrading on defense, while keeping Bolland and Raymond around.

In short, his cap hit will cost us a lot in terms of depth, and despite his character and intangibles, he just doesn't seem worth the risk to me.

Thoughts?

That you play too much NHL 2014. You think he's a pile of garbage, so your response is to trade him? If the perception is that he's an overpaid piece of junk, in what world will we find a suitor for him?

My actual thoughts though are that leaf fans are a fickle bunch with the attention spans of goldfish. Clarkson went from the second coming of Clark to the whipping boy in just a quarter season; 10 games of which he was suspended.

You should just relax and let the managers manage, the coaches coach, the players play, and the fans cheer.

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

3rd option should be

"No, can't trade him, no one will want" instead of No, don't trade him

 

[pspot]

in the 24/7 preview Clarkson is a player (maybe the 1st guy) that is pointed out by the Wings

he's a competitor that shows up every game and producing or not offensively, win or lose the other team has to deal with him

in this day and age I do think that's of value and worth paying for.

yes he's overpaid but that's the reality of signing a UFA. but he's an important part of this squad and someone who makes them harder to play against.

 

[Hockey Talker29]

That you play too much NHL 2014. You think he's a pile of garbage, so your response is to trade him? If the perception is that he's an overpaid piece of junk, in what world will we find a suitor for him?

My actual thoughts though are that leaf fans are a fickle bunch with the attention spans of goldfish. Clarkson went from the second coming of Clark to the whipping boy in just a quarter season; 10 games of which he was suspended.

You should just relax and let the managers manage, the coaches coach, the players play, and the fans cheer.

Read my initial post. We may very well have to sweeten the deal to move him.

I hated the signing from day one. It was short-sighted and stupid. Players like Clarkson can be had for way less than the $37m we paid. If we were going to take a risk, we should have at least kept one of our compliance buy-outs for this contingency.

 

[34]

Yes, dump him if you can but he is more untradable than Luongo was.

He will have to be bought out.

 

[Cor]

Getting rid of him would make us a worse team.

So No.

 

[Cor]

Clarkson has negative value. He basically can't be traded even if he waived whatever NTC he has. The Leafs are stuck with him, so let's find a role for him and live with it. /THEAD

We aren't stuck with Clarkson... we get to have Clarkson

 

[KuleminFan41]

We'd have to take salary in return, probably someone who's also overpaid and needs a new team.Someone similar to that of Lecavalier (only one I can think of off the top of my head). Even then, he has a NTC so I doubt he'd waive it

 

[Patty Lee]

Read my initial post. We may very well have to sweeten the deal to move him.

I hated the signing from day one. It was short-sighted and stupid. Players like Clarkson can be had for way less than the $37m we paid. If we were going to take a risk, we should have at least kept one of our compliance buy-outs for this contingency.

not as short sighted and stupid as your suggestion he be traded after this short of time

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

Read my initial post. We may very well have to sweeten the deal to move him.

I hated the signing from day one. It was short-sighted and stupid. Players like Clarkson can be had for way less than the $37m we paid. If we were going to take a risk, we should have at least kept one of our compliance buy-outs for this contingency.

Never understood the Komisarek buyout being used as a compliance, instead of a regular buyout. There was zero need to use up the compliance when he was in his final year....

 

[p.l.f.]

I cant answer this
I dont want to trade him, but if it's a good offer - a quality D or C - i would be interested

 

[ShaneFalco]

I guess I'm the only one that has liked the signing and that thinks he's been playing fairly well?

I'll be over there.

Nope, not getting the hate either. And considering he's on a new team, new coach, line-up shuffling, crappy D.....he's the least of our worries IMO...beyond the goaltending. He hit the cross-bar last night and has missed a few others b/c of bad bounces...... he's also one of the few who go to the net.

 

[Cleatus]

I'd easily trade him, but no team in the league is going to want a 5.25m/year energy player who doesn't even provide much energy for his team.

 

[KessMeRandy]

Nope, not getting the hate either. And considering he's on a new team, new coach, line-up shuffling, crappy D.....he's the least of our worries IMO...beyond the goaltending. He hit the cross-bar last night and has missed a few others b/c of bad bounces...... he's also one of the few who go to the net.

Like you guys I actually think he's been a good player for the Leafs so far. If he had other possession players with him (Bolland, Kulemin) he'd be tearing it up. Unfortunately he doesn't and it makes him look worse than he actually is playing. The guy is snake bitten too, I bet he's hit more bars than anyone in the NHL this year, and I don't think I'm exaggerating.