How to move a No Movement Player

[consumer1]

The way I see it. The only way to move Bryan McCabe is simply do not dress him. Ship him to the press box and let him stew. You will have to use a valuable spot in your 23 man player roster but it sure beats the alternative:

Leafs really can't buy him out, 3 million a year over the next three years, about 1.6 million a year for the additional three years, salary cap hit.

Perhaps Cliff Fletcher is to classy for this measure... and that is what scares me.

Edited and added "a year".

 

[maurice93]

There may not be that many (if any) suiters for McCabe despite his contract getting more reasonable as the cap goes up.

 

[dj1470]

You gotta play him. The Leafs signed him. Play him. Who knows maybe he'll have a good year and if everyone is sooooooooooo hell bent on losing him trade him then if possible. The leafs made their bed now they have to lie in it. Don't want him to play? Buy him out.

 

[lawyerman]

You gotta play him. The Leafs signed him. Play him. Who knows maybe he'll have a good year and if everyone is sooooooooooo hell bent on losing him trade him then if possible. The leafs made their bed now they have to lie in it. Don't want him to play? Buy him out.

I completely agree with you.

The problem is that Leafs management has let McCabe know that he is not wanted here anymore. This should never been let out to the media and general public.

Either play him or trade him. Don't sit him out as he will just collect money for nothing anyways and don't buy the guy out unless they want to get rid of him that badly.

Another tough situation that Cliff has had to endure. Thanks JFJ.

 

[consumer1]

Motivate him

You can't trade him ... its a no movement clause ... Unless the player agrees

My thought process may me medieval in nature...old school. (I'm willing to accept the fact that I may be wrong in this strategy)

Yes you cannot trade him. But by not dressing him, in my opinion will motiviate McCabe into possibly being more 'reasonable' with his buy out demands and more likely waiving his no trade/movement clause outright.

The bottom line is every player wants to play. Take that away from them, you will see how quickly they change their tune and allow to be traded.

In Fletcher's early press conferences he implied that "no trade is bascially giving the player a choice as to where he wishes to go...with comments such as "Mat's is driving the bus". (paraphrased)

Fletcher gave us a glimmer of hope that the 'core' players would be moved at trading deadline...then after his failure to convince the players in question to 'move' he made similar boasts concerning July 1st and thereafter.

In the old days if you will, once a player found out the club wishes to trade him, they were of the opinion that 'if the team does not want me, then I'm outta here'.

Fletcher's mistake is that this is the 'new NHL' and the players are of a different mindset.

Now reading between the lines, I think that by buying out Tucker, close friend of McCabe then Fletcher albeit on a smaller scale, got rid of Bryan's 'Lanny McDonald'. Cliff has started the process.

Fletcher made it clear of his intentions, and has the right to rebuild. To tear apart and start over.

My strategy is that by sitting McCabe in the press box during games, will MOTIVATE Bryan into waiving his 'no movement' clause, with the strong possiblity of a mutually acceptable 'buyout'...or simply waiving it altogether thus saving Leafs valuable cap space.

 

[shack]

Lets not forget McCabe was one of the hard ballers in the last lockout ... He was willing to sit for how ever long it took ... ...

But that's when zero hockey was being played and everybody was in the same boat. It might be a different now that he has to see everyone else competing and he has to go sit in the corner separated from the other children. It may work.

 

[lawyerman]

You can't trade him

I understand stand what a no movement clause is. What I was trying to say is they should move him at just about any cost if they are not willing to play him and it is up to McCabe to decide.

 

[lawyerman]

Sorry don't understand your stance .. What would you do if you were Cliff
and you didn't want his new coach to deal with Mcabe crap ...

Cliff is stuck with him. There are very few options for Fletcher at the moment.

Buy him out. (Which Fletcher said he would not do)
Not play him. (rumour only)
Ask him to waive his no-trade clause (Which McCabe said he would not do)

Personally, I would beg McCabe to lift the clause by September 15th in which he is due a $2 million dollar bonus.

The Leafs have a surplus of defencemen and since they are rebuilding and have room under the cap, I would buy him out.

Understandably, it will be a boatload of money out the window but sometimes you have to do what it takes to rebuild.

The time is now.

 

[Malibook]

... Leafs only have to pay him 4 million this year and so let him sit at home ... Heck lets see how much McCabe loves to play hockey ..

I thought McCabe is still making huge bucks this year and then $4 M the next 2 years.

McCabe is young enough to turn his game around a perhaps justify $4 M.

If he won't waive his no-trade clause, that should be the end of it and the Leafs should honour their end of the deal.

 

[lawyerman]

Management has changed. They are trying to clean up the mess JFJ left them in. You can't blame them for that. The only thing that I don't like is that management told the media about it. This should have been kept private.

 

[lawyerman]

Whatever the reason is, we will never know.

He had a crap season last year when they expected him to be a solid contributor partly due to injuries.

I have always liked McCabe and his fiery spirit but I cannot stand his high risk passes out of the zone and giveaways galore.

He still has not learned that aspect of the game and he thinks because he has solid skills that high risk manouevres can bail him out of tight situations.

Let's see how this plays out.

 

[consumer1]

One last Rabbit for Cliff

... Cause if he sits at home and accepts not playing then Leafs lose their power and other teams will think twice about doing this again ...

Bryan will NOT be sitting at home. As a member of the 23 man roster he will be required to come to the games and sit in the press box. Subject to tv. camera's, public embarassment etc.

It's a tough stance that not many GM's will take. This may not help the Leafs in recuirting free agents etc as other players see how the club has 'treated McCabe'....but Fletcher has a 'way out'.

Since Cliff will step aside when the new replacement (GM/Pres.etc) is found, he alone 'will take the bullet' for this course of action deflecting all negitive preceptions that others will have on the organization in whole.

And if Cliff manages to have McCabe waive his 'no movement' with little or no hit on the cap by using this strategy...then Mr.Fletcher will have indeed pulled one last rabbit out of his hat.

 

[lawyerman]

We agree ... I would have liked this whole new management structure ( coaching staff ) a shot at McCabe and Tucker and see if they could bring out something that the previous management team couldn't do ... Heck if they couldn't they could have sent Tucker and Mcabe to the press box ... They aren't winning a cup this year and so why have this shit happening ..

It's a miracle that we agree. Sending a player to the press box is the ultimate insult. When players aren't playing well then scratch them from the lineup and see if that wakes them up a bit but to sit them out when they are perfectly healthy and the season hasn't even started is just plain stupid.

 

[Hurricane Hank]

Leaf ORGAIZATION gave him the contract. Honour it or buy him
out or sit him. But don't make him the villian. He's merely living up to terms of the contract.
BTW, the Leafs defense stinks. You may as well play him.

 

[consumer1]

Fletcher's mandate

It's a miracle that we agree. Sending a player to the press box is the ultimate insult. When players aren't playing well then scratch them from the lineup and see if that wakes them up a bit but to sit them out when they are perfectly healthy and the season hasn't even started is just plain stupid.

Cliff Fletcher has a mandate handed down from MLSE...rebuild.

Mr. Fletcher has gone on record stating that there will be a change in the Leaf's 'core' players.

With this mandate in mind, I started this thread...how do you move a no movement player. It's not about McCabe's right not to waive his no movement. Or management honoring the contract.

It's about MLSE's mandate to rebuild ,change it's 'core' players with the obstacle of the 'no movement clause' staring them in the face.

I accept arguements to simply buy him out...for it is answering the intended question. I don't agree with this option because the cap hit they face but it is viable option.

If the Leafs do nothing, live with his contract, as some McCabe supporters have suggested, is not addressing the Maple Leafs' mandate to rebuild.

The players that refused to be moved while excercising their RIGHT not to be traded have screwed the fans and team from moving forward.

JFJ put the Leafs in this predicament and current Leaf Management has the right to 'do whatever it takes' to get themselves out of this mess.

 

[lawyerman]

Cliff Fletcher has a mandate handed down from MLSE...rebuild.

Mr. Fletcher has gone on record stating that there will be a change in the Leaf's 'core' players.

With this mandate in mind, I started this thread...how do you move a no movement player. It's not about McCabe's right not to waive his no movement. Or management honoring the contract.

It's about MLSE's mandate to rebuild ,change it's 'core' players with the obstacle of the 'no movement clause' staring them in the face.

I accept arguements to simply buy him out...for it is answering the intended question. I don't agree with this option because the cap hit they face but it is viable option.

If the Leafs do nothing, live with his contract, as some McCabe supporters have suggested, is not addressing the Maple Leafs' mandate to rebuild.

The players that refused to be moved while excercising their RIGHT not to be traded have screwed the fans and team from moving forward.

JFJ put the Leafs in this predicament and current Leaf Management has the right to 'do whatever it takes' to get themselves out of this mess.

It is not the players' fault they that were offered a no-movement contract. How can you blame the guy and say that he is screwing the fans and the team? It's not just himself but his family as well. It's not easy moving your family around. It is a huge inconvenience. He has been a Leaf for a number of years now and has settled in and in JFJ's eyes, he offered the clause in the contract. They have to live with it now.

Rebuilding doesn't mean dismantling the entire team and starting from scratch. You can't just eliminate everyone from the roster. The Leafs gave away Tucker, Wellwood and Raycroft for absolutely nothing yet the Leafs are short of capable forwards. McCabe garners a lot of ice time and that might be beneficial for the young guys coming up and working their way slowly to becoming a hopefully reliable NHL defenceman.

To Leafs Management:

For future reference, please do not offer any more no-movement and no-trade clauses and include them into the players contracts.

Look at the possible scenarios that the Leafs could have made during the trade deadline.

Sundin refused.
Kubina refused.
Kaberle refused.
McCabe refused.
Tucker refused.

The Leafs could have been rebuilding if these contracts were not offered.

I can understand Sundin as he has earned the no-trade clause but not the others.

Niklas Hagman was offered a limited no movement clause for one year.

WTF is Niklas Hagman?

Hagman is ok but his best season consisted of 41 points.

To have any type of clause for a player of this calibre is proposterous.

 

[maurice93]

JFJ put the Leafs in this predicament and current Leaf Management has the right to 'do whatever it takes' to get themselves out of this mess.

And just remember that every NHL player has the right to remember how a past player has been treated by the organization.

That could lead to paying premiums in the future.

Furthermore, the Leafs are going to have to pay large premiums now in the future to attract or keep future stars, because they will refuse to give NTC's when they are needed for certain players.

Leafs mgmt decided to blame all their failures on these players. It was a poor move, that will prove disastrous in the future. The current generation of NHL players will never forget the unfair abuse the Leafs five took from Fletcher for simply sticking to there contractual rights.

You are looking at this purely from a short-term perspective. What the Leafs did in February, will affect them negatively in negotiations for the next half dozen years.

 

[TDL2003]

...
Ask him to waive his no-trade clause (Which McCabe said he would not do)
...

Everyone has a price. Can the Leafs not make an offer to McCabe - say "we are willing to pay you $X million to waive your no movement clause for the next 30days in order to pursue opportunities to trade you. If there's no offers during those 30 days no harm no foul you play out your contract."

 

[consumer1]

Point well made

And just remember that every NHL player has the right to remember how a past player has been treated by the organization.

That could lead to paying premiums in the future.

Furthermore, the Leafs are going to have to pay large premiums now in the future to attract or keep future stars, because they will refuse to give NTC's when they are needed for certain players.

Leafs mgmt decided to blame all their failures on these players. It was a poor move, that will prove disastrous in the future. The current generation of NHL players will never forget the unfair abuse the Leafs five took from Fletcher for simply sticking to there contractual rights.

You are looking at this purely from a short-term perspective. What the Leafs did in February, will affect them negatively in negotiations for the next half dozen years.

You point is well made.

I think I addressed some of this in thread #18 "One Last Rabbit For Cliff".

Fletcher can take the bullet since he will not be 'the man' down the road etc. Thereby deflecting all critisim on himself and not necessarily the organization. (pertaining to future FA's seeing how the leafs treated such player etc)

My suggestion is drastic while yours and other likeminded threads are more reasonable and realistic.

But I will say this one last thing...McCabe will not be the first player ever sent to the press box awaiting a trade or management using such ploy into forcing a players hand.

 

[maurice93]

I think with McCabe he has limited trade value anyway. He still is one of your top 6 defencemen, so just keep him.

And if you want to play a younger player, just buy him out. Tucker, Kubina, and McCabe aren't really going to get you much back in trades anyway, so I'm not sure why the Leafs have such a hard-on to trade them.

The only two players who had value were Sundin (and he earned the respect to get a NTC) and Kaberle, which people don't really want to trade anyway.

I just think its being handled very poorly for players who won't net much. Either rebuild with them, or buy them out.