It appears to be the great, unkillable contract.
And the Toronto Maple Leafs gleefully signed all seven years and $36.75-million of it with free agent David Clarkson last summer.
You really don’t have to look much further than a few headlines at various media sources this week to know how the deal has turned out, as talk of a buyout has quickly spread online as the season winds down.One such report out of New Jersey, where Clarkson played the first seven years of his career, read “Should the Devils go after Clarkson if the Leafs buy out his contract?”
Another local report said there would be “serious discussions” by Leafs management over whether to dump the deal.
With many players in Clarkson’s situation, that would be a logical conversation, too. His goal in Tuesday’s win over the Calgary Flames was just his fifth of the season after 55 games, and his ice time has dwindled as coach Randy Carlyle has struggled to find a fit for him in the lineup.
In a season where much has gone wrong, Clarkson’s contract has been Toronto’s biggest catastrophe.
But even if the Leafs wanted to take the drastic step of buying out the last six years of it, they almost certainly won’t.
Because of the way the deal is structured – with more than 75 per cent of the money in irrevocable signing bonuses – Clarkson has the rare indestructible contract, one that guarantees him the vast majority of his money no matter what.
Originally Posted by mysticsoto
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