On Thursday, the Toronto Maple Leafs did something which seemed impossible: They traded away David Clarkson, the owner of perhaps the worst contract in the NHL.
Even more incredibly, even as the Leafs managed a clear win so did the team on the other end of the trade.
Before getting to the accolades that Toronto’s management richly deserves, we should explain that Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen isn’t a total dunce. He had a good reason for making this deal.
Unlike the Leafs, the Blue Jackets have to worry not only about the NHL salary cap but also the actual amount of dollars paid out to players. Nathan Horton has five years left on his contract after this one, and his $5.3 million cap hit is less important than the fact that he has more than $25 million in salary still owed him, per NHLNumbers.com.
As TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports, Horton’s contract wasn’t insured, which means that a small-market Columbus team has to spend a significant portion of its annual budget on a player with a degenerative back condition who isn’t lik ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Jonathan Willis
Creative David Clarkson-Nathan Horton Trade a Great Step in Maple Leafs’ Rebuild
February 26th, 2015 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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