Leafs To Buy Out Raycroft, Working On McCabe’s No-Trade Clause
Posted June 27, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Cliff Fletcher’s efforts to reinvent the Toronto Maple Leafs continued Friday, targeting two players still bearing the prints of former GM John Ferguson Jr.
First news broke that the club was working diligently to cut ties with much-maligned defenceman Bryan McCabe, who thanks to Ferguson has a no-trade clause built into his contract.
The club has reportedly been working for nearly a month on McCabe, trying to get the blueliner to consider a trade, though he’s reportedly not thrilled with the idea. His agent would naturally prefer a buyout, allowing the former Islander to get the full money remaining in the final three years of his deal and then ink a new contract with a new club of his choosing.
Fletcher has said he’d prefer to avoid taking the massive salary cap hit, which for now leaves the two parties at a standstill.
Things were a little less complicated in the case of backup goaltender Andrew Raycroft, however, who was placed on unconditional waivers earlier in the week and as was announced Friday, will have the final year of his contract in which he was to earn $2.2 million, bought out.
“We decided to go that route,” said Fletcher. “We wish Andrew all the best.”
Raycroft spent two years in Toronto but was relegated to the bench for most of last season after the Maple Leafs acquired Vesa Toskala in a trade.
He’s the second player to be bought out by the team this week after forward Darcy Tucker had the final three years of his contract purchased on Tuesday.
Onetime fan favourite Kyle Wellwood was also put on waivers earlier in the week, but was picked up by the Vancouver Canucks.
P hoto Credit: Dave Sandford/Getty Images
