Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
David Clarkson is not a goal scorer. Lets just get that out of the way quickly. He is the definition of a tough guy who scores goals in the dirty areas of the ice. The Toronto Maple Leafs just signed Clarkson to a seven year deal worth around $5 million a year on Friday afternoon.
Clarkson was considered one of the top players in this year’s free agent class. Personally, I think Clarkson is completely overrated. For a player that has only scored 30 goals once in his career he was getting looks that were not for him. While he is a great player for depth and a good intangible guy, he is not a goal scorer you want to make a first line forward. For the money he got it is a very puzzling move by the Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs are an up and coming team. They came oh so close to knocking off the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. But Clarkson is not the answer to their problems. They already have Phil Kessel who is the team’s number one guy. While Clarkson can fill the void of a second line forward, why would they give him so much money over so many years? It is a question that doesn’t have a reasonable answer. While the Maple Leafs have already made their decision, I feel they will soon regret this one.
The Maple Leafs are a team that is a piece or two away from being a serious contender. Clarkson is not one of those pieces.
