What a DAVID CLARKSON BUYOUT would actually look like (it's good news for Clarkson)

[Stephen]

Leaf management has used the buyout too much resulting in a lot of dead cap space. They need to resign to sucking and just ride bad contracts out, because all of this thrashing around is just going to make things worse long term.

Agreed. Just let the Clarkson contract run its course for another few years before even contemplating a buyout.

 

[Yosho]

While he hasn't been "five million dollar" good this year, he certainly hasn't been "buy him out" bad.

I've always been against buyouts. As bad as Clarkson's contract is, buying him out with hurt even more.

 

[StuckOutHere]

You know that this hypothetical expansion team will have access to free agency as well, right? Meaning they will be able to sign guys for money that represent better dollars spent than on Clarkson, on players who offer more than Clarkson does on the ice?

There are ways expansion teams can get to the cap floor without taking on junk contracts

I should have stressed in my original post that I think this is the best and most likely way he is removed from this team without buying out his un-buyoutable contract. Do I think it will happen? Maybe? Probably not? I just think it is far more likely than this team buying him out or finding a team even remotely interested in acquiring him (even at 50%, in final year). Expansion teams will need to reach an absurd cap floor by 2017/2018/whenever. FA pools are garbage and will continue to be until the league possibly swings the pendulum the other way in the next CBA (original teams deserve power, but I like baseball's system of compensation picks, a route a lot of teams would take if possible), and frankly, what UFA is thinking "sweet, I can join an expansion team!".

Final point: There is almost certainly no way we are getting rid of Clarkson via trade, buyout, or expansion selection. But one of these seems more likely than the others, and that is expansion IMO. The only other viable way is a 50% retained transaction in his final year as a rental. At that point though we are likely already dancing in the streets knowing we only have ~20 games left of Wendel 2.0. Best thing we can do in the interim is to try and bank on the fact he is seemingly a good character guy who does try and be a two-way player who we can try and develop into something of a useful player (maybe more development/coaching on the PK side?) in our bottom six.

 

[Mess]

If a team wants to tank but not give the impression that they are, then buying out Clarkson and having his buyout count against the cap for the next decade would be one way to accomplish that by dead cap space created.

However then one has to wonder if keeping Clarkson and playing Clarkson actually addresses that objective better.

 

[Peasy]

Its honestly better to put him in the minors but he has a NMC so we can't even do that lol...

 

[mydnyte]

i keep reading the main issue with Clarkson's contract is that is heavily Bonus laden ...if he doesnt reach his bonuses, dont we get that $$ back the next season in Cap relief?

 

[Peasy]

i keep reading the main issue with Clarkson's contract is that is heavily Bonus laden ...if he doesnt reach his bonuses, dont we get that $$ back the next season in Cap relief?

Pretty sure its all signing bonuses. And if not then they usually just make it easy bonuses like play an x number of games, or score a low number of points.

 

[MJ65]

What if the player get injured and is unable to play for a season or the extended period of time

 

[Mess]

Pretty sure its all signing bonuses. And if not then they usually just make it easy bonuses like play an x number of games, or score a low number of points.

Correct signing bonuses (which are guaranteed even from buyouts).

Over the final 6 years of Clarkson's contract (including this year) he is owed $24.250 mil in signing bonuses remaining and only $8 mil in actual base salary over those 6 years.

 

[ShaneFalco]

If you rebuild the Clarkson contract doesn't matter. You can keep him while you stockpile picks for the next 5 years. He's not going to keep is out of the top 3 or 5.

In fact he'll help us get there

David Clarkson Is A Balrog. [He Cannot Pass.]

 

[mydnyte]

Correct signing bonuses (which are guaranteed even from buyouts).

Over the final 6 years of Clarkson's contract (including this year) he is owed $24.250 mil in signing bonuses remaining and only $8 mil in actual base salary over those 6 years.

shame they cant just payout in full the signing bonuses, and then buyout the actual salary.

there had to have been a reason it is structured in that manner.

 

[napoleon in rags]

Clarkson with 4 assists so far on the year... tied with Korbinian Holzer. This is tooo funny!

God, I love this thread.

 

[mydnyte]

Clarkson with 4 assists so far on the year... tied with Korbinian Holzer. This is tooo funny!

God, I love this thread.

...5th on the team in goals.

funny how you can make stats say different things based your desires.

 

[Peasy]

shame they cant just payout in full the signing bonuses, and then buyout the actual salary.

there had to have been a reason it is structured in that manner.

Yeah probably because Clarkson's agent is a genius. Wouldnt be surprised if teams offered him more money but had a different structure of his contract.

 

[roosterman]

IMO I think we should go the rebuild route and give Clarkson another year or two. After the likes of Kessel and others being traded we would give Clarkson more of a role (top 2 lines) and see if he can improve. If not after a couple of years then look at buying him out. After all we will need some leadership in the dressing room if a rebuild starts.

 

[Guy Boucher]

...5th on the team in goals.

funny how you can make stats say different things based your desires.

Pretty sure we all desire for him not to impair the production of his linemates, yet here we are. Everyone who plays with him produces less.

 

[pspot]

if they are interested in truly rebuilding then clarkson's contract is a none issue

yes he's overpaid but if they move the other big ticket guys (specificially kessel/phanuef)
then it really doesn't matter

he's a home town vet, competes, plays hard, sets the example for the young players, protects them and echo's the coach

no point in eating in to future cap space for additional they won't need in the short term

hes not the issue with this team

 

[Guy Boucher]

if they are interested in truly rebuilding then clarkson's contract is a none issue

yes he's overpaid but if they move the other big ticket guys (specificially kessel/phanuef)
then it really doesn't matter

he's a home town vet, competes, plays hard, sets the example for the young players, protects them and echo's the coach

no point in eating in to future cap space for additional they won't need in the short term

hes not the issue with this team

He's terrible defensively, makes his line-mates worse/will hurt the development of his line-mates, and he's a pretty serious issue on this team.

There's a legit case to buy him out just to get him off the roster.

 

[paulster2626]

Another Clarkson thread!

Local hometown boy, fan favourite indeed! Clarkson is the Leafs' most popular player, and thank goodness he's not going anywhere so we can see countless threads for the next FIVE seasons!

Great job, OP! Insightful and original stuff!

GO LEAFS GO

 

[daveleaf]

Nothing wrong with David's play this year and no reason to contemplate a buyout. You get some guys who have to repeat the Verbal Diarrhea that can be Elliot Friedman at times and this is why I hate the new Hockey Night in Canada format and cast.

Why would you even contemplate buying the player out now? If you were to trade him and hold back salary would you get equal value in the cap space that is traded away and retained? People just don't think straight because we are loosing right now. If we were a dozen games over .500 and firmly in a playoff spot no one would be talking about Clarkson.

 

[Tak7]

Mike Richards was just waived by the LA Kings.

Richards - younger than Clarkson, plays in a more prominent position than Clarkson, has a deal with less term than Clarkson, and has 2 cups - couldn't be moved by the LA Kings.

The Leafs have no hope of moving Clarkson. If you are in the group that thinks retaining salary means you can move him - stick a fork in it. He's not going anywhere.

 

[Purity*]

Buying out Clarktard would be the worst thing to do for a rebuild.

Look, if there's anything good you can say about him, it would be about his work ethic and attitude. He would be a shining example to our young players in a rebuild that hard work truly pays off. On top of that, he can do that pseudo-enforcer role as well.

 

[roosterman]

Buying out Clarktard would be the worst thing to do for a rebuild.

Look, if there's anything good you can say about him, it would be about his work ethic and attitude. He would be a shining example to our young players in a rebuild that hard work truly pays off. On top of that, he can do that pseudo-enforcer role as well.

I agree... keeping him in a rebuild is OK (unless he gets worse and starts to have a negative impact on the kids).

 

[daveleaf]

Mike Richards was just waived by the LA Kings.

Richards - younger than Clarkson, plays in a more prominent position than Clarkson, has a deal with less term than Clarkson, and has 2 cups - couldn't be moved by the LA Kings.

The Leafs have no hope of moving Clarkson. If you are in the group that thinks retaining salary means you can move him - stick a fork in it. He's not going anywhere.

You fail to realize that Richards is broken. His body has aged with all the miles and he is not that big to start with. That being said, the Kings need another d-man so something has to give.

While Clarkson's contract is not great, he is still producing. He was never going to be a 35 goal scorer. He was supposed to be a 20-25 goal scorer, a character guy, a guy with grit and someone that wanted to be a Leaf. He still is all those things. I would hazard to guess, if he stays healthy that his contract will be the last thing on fans minds 3 years down the road.

 

[Guy Boucher]

You fail to realize that Richards is broken. His body has aged with all the miles and he is not that big to start with. That being said, the Kings need another d-man so something has to give.

While Clarkson's contract is not great, he is still producing. He was never going to be a 35 goal scorer. He was supposed to be a 20-25 goal scorer, a character guy, a guy with grit and someone that wanted to be a Leaf. He still is all those things. I would hazard to guess, if he stays healthy that his contract will be the last thing on fans minds 3 years down the road.

Richards produces more than Clarkson. And can actually kill penalties.