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Stalled contract talks could force deal
Star defender seeking $5 million a year
Mar. 2, 2006. 12:36 PM
KEN CAMPBELL AND MARK ZWOLINSKI
SPORTS REPORTERS
The Maple Leafs have one week and three games to decide whether they will be a buyer or a seller at the March 9 trade deadline, and in that time they must decide what they are going to do with star defenceman Bryan McCabe.
Sources say the Leafs started negotiating with McCabe and Tomas Kaberle earlier this season. The talks with Kaberle resulted in a four-year deal for the Czech defenceman just before the Olympic break. But the Leafs have yet to sign McCabe and there are growing indications McCabe and his agent, Jeff Solomon, are intent on testing the free agent market July 1.
McCabe is currently earning $3.458 million (all figures U.S.) in the final year of his contract.
Soloman yesterday characterized talks with the Leafs as "preliminary and conceptual," and claimed the NHL's top scoring defenceman "loves it" in Toronto.
"We've had a couple of conversations ... and to this point we haven't been provided with a firm offer," Soloman said.
"Bryan loves it (in Toronto), he's had his most productive seasons as a pro there. He loves living there ... but having said that, the rest of it is out of our control."
With the prospect of signing McCabe dwindling and teams such as the Vancouver Canucks desperate for help on defence, the Leafs have precious little time to decide which way they are going to go at the deadline.
If McCabe wants to test the free agent waters and the Leafs are not going to make the playoffs, it would make sense to trade him rather than risk losing him with no return in the summer. And if McCabe doesn't sign by July 1, trading him at the deadline would not preclude the Leafs from taking a shot at him once he's a free agent. They'd just have more competition.
But if they feel they can make a run for the playoffs, they are obviously far better positioned to do so with their best defenceman in the lineup, and would presumably put more pressure on them to sign McCabe. How the Leafs do in games tomorrow against the Buffalo Sabres, Saturday against the Ottawa Senators and Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens could tip the balance.
The Leafs managed to get Kaberle under contract for four years at about $4.25 million. It's believed they have budgeted about $9 million per season to spend on Kaberle and McCabe, which would leave a yearly stipend of about $4.75 million for McCabe. But McCabe, who is enjoying his finest offensive season and could break the franchise record for goals (22) and points (79) by a defenceman this season, reportedly wants a Sergei Gonchar-type contract of about $5 million a year over five years.
"I don't know where any of that is coming from. ... It certainly isn't coming from me," Soloman said. "We don't have a deadline, but if there is something (a deal) to wrap up, we'll wrap it up."
McCabe would also likely want a no-trade clause in the deal, something Kaberle wasn't able to land. Kaberle was able to get some restrictions on the Leafs' ability to deal him, though. His contract says if the Leafs fail to make the playoffs in 2008-09 or in 2009-10, the team has a window of approximately two months following the draft to deal him.
Heading into negotiations with both players earlier this season, the Leafs were reportedly more willing to part with McCabe than Kaberle, whose puck-moving skills are at a premium in the new NHL. Should the Leafs not sign McCabe they could use that money, plus a little more, to sign the likes of Jay McKee and Mattias Norstrom, two defencemen who might become unrestricted free agents this summer.
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Richard Peddie and Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. refused to bandy names or reveal their trade deadline strategy, but both admitted a high dissatisfaction with "several" Leaf players, and a willingness to redefine the club through "the right" trade.
"We'd like to do both. ... We'd like to improve through acquisition and or through the collective betterment of our team, and that's getting better efforts than we've received from some players in particular, but really from the club as a whole. ... Our recent results leave a great deal to be desired," Ferguson said.
Neither Peddie nor Ferguson wanted to make the McCabe negotiations public. But the two have met "three times in the past 24 hours" about the trade deadline, and both were candid afterwards about the deadline and its impact on a Leaf club that sits in ninth place, three points out of a playoff berth.
"You are what your record says you are," Ferguson said. ``You have conversations going on with so many clubs. If the right deal is there, we'll make it."
If McCabe does sign, he would be one of seven Leaf untouchables at the deadline, according to sources. That group includes Kyle Wellwood, Alex Steen, Mats Sundin, Alex Ponikarovsky, Darcy Tucker and Kaberle.
Star defender seeking $5 million a year
Mar. 2, 2006. 12:36 PM
KEN CAMPBELL AND MARK ZWOLINSKI
SPORTS REPORTERS
The Maple Leafs have one week and three games to decide whether they will be a buyer or a seller at the March 9 trade deadline, and in that time they must decide what they are going to do with star defenceman Bryan McCabe.
Sources say the Leafs started negotiating with McCabe and Tomas Kaberle earlier this season. The talks with Kaberle resulted in a four-year deal for the Czech defenceman just before the Olympic break. But the Leafs have yet to sign McCabe and there are growing indications McCabe and his agent, Jeff Solomon, are intent on testing the free agent market July 1.
McCabe is currently earning $3.458 million (all figures U.S.) in the final year of his contract.
Soloman yesterday characterized talks with the Leafs as "preliminary and conceptual," and claimed the NHL's top scoring defenceman "loves it" in Toronto.
"We've had a couple of conversations ... and to this point we haven't been provided with a firm offer," Soloman said.
"Bryan loves it (in Toronto), he's had his most productive seasons as a pro there. He loves living there ... but having said that, the rest of it is out of our control."
With the prospect of signing McCabe dwindling and teams such as the Vancouver Canucks desperate for help on defence, the Leafs have precious little time to decide which way they are going to go at the deadline.
If McCabe wants to test the free agent waters and the Leafs are not going to make the playoffs, it would make sense to trade him rather than risk losing him with no return in the summer. And if McCabe doesn't sign by July 1, trading him at the deadline would not preclude the Leafs from taking a shot at him once he's a free agent. They'd just have more competition.
But if they feel they can make a run for the playoffs, they are obviously far better positioned to do so with their best defenceman in the lineup, and would presumably put more pressure on them to sign McCabe. How the Leafs do in games tomorrow against the Buffalo Sabres, Saturday against the Ottawa Senators and Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens could tip the balance.
The Leafs managed to get Kaberle under contract for four years at about $4.25 million. It's believed they have budgeted about $9 million per season to spend on Kaberle and McCabe, which would leave a yearly stipend of about $4.75 million for McCabe. But McCabe, who is enjoying his finest offensive season and could break the franchise record for goals (22) and points (79) by a defenceman this season, reportedly wants a Sergei Gonchar-type contract of about $5 million a year over five years.
"I don't know where any of that is coming from. ... It certainly isn't coming from me," Soloman said. "We don't have a deadline, but if there is something (a deal) to wrap up, we'll wrap it up."
McCabe would also likely want a no-trade clause in the deal, something Kaberle wasn't able to land. Kaberle was able to get some restrictions on the Leafs' ability to deal him, though. His contract says if the Leafs fail to make the playoffs in 2008-09 or in 2009-10, the team has a window of approximately two months following the draft to deal him.
Heading into negotiations with both players earlier this season, the Leafs were reportedly more willing to part with McCabe than Kaberle, whose puck-moving skills are at a premium in the new NHL. Should the Leafs not sign McCabe they could use that money, plus a little more, to sign the likes of Jay McKee and Mattias Norstrom, two defencemen who might become unrestricted free agents this summer.
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Richard Peddie and Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. refused to bandy names or reveal their trade deadline strategy, but both admitted a high dissatisfaction with "several" Leaf players, and a willingness to redefine the club through "the right" trade.
"We'd like to do both. ... We'd like to improve through acquisition and or through the collective betterment of our team, and that's getting better efforts than we've received from some players in particular, but really from the club as a whole. ... Our recent results leave a great deal to be desired," Ferguson said.
Neither Peddie nor Ferguson wanted to make the McCabe negotiations public. But the two have met "three times in the past 24 hours" about the trade deadline, and both were candid afterwards about the deadline and its impact on a Leaf club that sits in ninth place, three points out of a playoff berth.
"You are what your record says you are," Ferguson said. ``You have conversations going on with so many clubs. If the right deal is there, we'll make it."
If McCabe does sign, he would be one of seven Leaf untouchables at the deadline, according to sources. That group includes Kyle Wellwood, Alex Steen, Mats Sundin, Alex Ponikarovsky, Darcy Tucker and Kaberle.
