Inside The Penalty Box 08.12.08: McCabe Reconsidering Stance On No-Movement Clause
Posted by Neil Borenstein on 08.12.2008
Ever since the NHL Entry Draft, Toronto GM Cliff Fletcher has wanted to add Bryan McCabe’s name to those he had tossed off the Maple Leafs’ roster. Unfortunately, McCabe’s reluctance to waive his no-movement clause has thwarted such attempts. Recently, McCabe has reconsidered his stance on that clause, however, and may very well give Fletcher what he wants. In this edition of Inside The Penalty Box, Neil Borenstein explores the situation that could send another veteran Leaf out of Toronto.
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 bywaiving 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
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Until next week, you have just been Inside The Penalty Box!
Why would you not want to play in Toronto ? Detroit can think what they want but this is officially Hockey Town. The leafs have been SOLD OUT for every game for 25 years give or take. The city eats, sleeps and breathes hockey. McCabe is a great goal scorer but his issue is simple he might get 50 goals a year again but unfortunatly he's on the ice when 65 are scored against the Leafs. The man has one of the worst +/- records in hockey. Toronto just needs to get back to fundamentals and forget about the 1000's of mistakes the past GM made. there are 16 teams in the league nobody gives a damn about which leaves 15 other teams that are somewhat successful. So who should McCabe go to.. cause despite there now great team lets face it the following if i ran the league at all wouldnt even have a team cause there incapable of supporting one. Florida, Tampa, Carolina, Buffalo, Phoenix, Columbus, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Nashville its a shame about Pittsburgh though its been an NHL city for years but if not for the NHL fixing of the draft a few years ago to regain some young talent they would no longer be in Pittsburgh but Hamilton, Ontario
Posted By: sketchy 1 (Guest) on August 12, 2008 at 02:38 PM
On the other side of sketchy's "Playing in Toronto" coin, you have a fickle fanbase, a media who over-analyzes every microscopic thing, a management rife with in-fighting who do not have to care about building a winner correctly because every game is sold out, and a franchise that hasn't figured out how to make it to the Stanley Cup finals since the league expanded from six to twelve teams.
If I remember right, McCabe's wife is from Long Island, so maybe a move there wouldn't be so bad either, especially if they can steal high draft picks from that sad sack franchise and cash them in. The Leafs will still have Kaberle at least.
Posted By: Heel Heat (Guest) on August 13, 2008 at 01:22 AM
define fickle fan base ? how about the highest TV viewership in the NHL. How about the most jerseys sold When does the media never over analyze things ? atleast in this city the hockey makes the sports show or highlight real unlike half the NHL teams in the US who cant buy time to be talked about on ESPN or sports centre. the Leafs rely on the corporate market to fill the ACC but the true fans that watch them come in droves. Every city we play in we have loads of fans there. When we play in Montreal the place is 1/2 packed with Leaf fans, we play in western Canada the cheers of go Leafs go out voice those of the home teams. the only exception is that dirt pile they call Ottawa but hell even with Melnyk that team struggles to survive.
Posted By: sketchy1 (Guest) on August 13, 2008 at 02:52 PM
Fickle in that a loss means the team is the worst ever and a win means that it's time to plan the Stanley Cup parade.
Having a large fanbase does not make it hockey paradise.
Posted By: Heel Heat (Guest) on August 13, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Gotta agree with Heel Heat here.
There's no doubting the passion fans in Toronto (and all of Canada, for that matter) have for their team. And I don't think that's ever really been questioned. Canadians love their hockey and the Maple Leafs have a tried and true fanbase.
But that has absolutely nothing to do with anything here. The fact is, playing in Toronto these days has to be a constant headache. For as much as they'd now like you to believe they have a new direction, Maple Leafs management still has absolutely no idea how to run an organization. Even if Toronto was able to bring in somebody with at least a little bit of hockey sense, it would still take the Maple Leafs a couple of years to become contenders based on the mess that would need to be cleaned from the current regime and the one previous to it.
And that's why players wouldn't (or at least shouldn't) want to be in Toronto. Players don't care about sellouts, TV viewership and, to a degree, jersey sales. They want to play hockey where they stand a chance at winning a Stanley Cup and don't have to deal with front office execs that just don't get it.
McCabe should be thanking his lucky stars he actually has an opportunity to move on somewhere else.
Posted By: Neil Borenstein (Registered) on August 14, 2008 at 12:09 AM
There have to be at least 6 places that would be better to play than Toronto! Tops of that list would have to be Detroit. Say all you want, but why play someplace where your chance of reaching the ultimate prize (in this case, the Stanley Cup) is equal to the number of people strolling around Toronto in bathing suits in January! Zero! The Laughs last Cup was what 1967? Talking about futility, Webster's should just have a picture of the Leafs, it would speak volumes. The Leafs shuffle the serfs around and everybody starts talking Stanley, must be some guy that they know. Since 1990, the Penguins have won 2 Stanleys (played in a 3rd), the Avs have won 2 (played in a 3rd), the Devils have won 3 (played in a 4th), and the Red Wings (those bastards! LOL!) have won 4 (and played in a 5th). Every other team in Canada has at least played in a Stanley Cup since 1990. So tell me again why players would want to come to Toronto? Maybe they just want to start golfing in South Carolina early!
As for fans, Detroit has a pretty good fanbase, even with an economy in the toilet (I live in Louisiana now, so I can't attend there, but I've seen Red Wing's games in Carolina, Phoenix, St Louis, and San Jose.) Whenever I watch Center Ice, the opposing arenas are filled with the Red Winged Wheel, so don't think that Toronto is the "Holy Grail" of Hockeydom.
Posted By: Red Wing 55 (Guest) on August 19, 2008 at 03:30 PM
