SYN

Maple Leafs To Buy Out Tucker
Canadian Press
Jun 24, 2008, 9:04 PM EDT


Tucker


TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs and Darcy Tucker are parting ways.

Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher informed Tucker on Tuesday he would be bought out.

Tucker's agent Carlos Sosa told The Canadian Press the team would officially notify Tucker of the buyout Wednesday, and he would be an unrestricted free agent 24 hours after the notice has been given.

"It is what it is. We've been ready for this for a while. It is a business," Sosa said.

Tucker has three years left on his contract and will be owed two-thirds of it or US$6 million paid back over a six-year term by the Leafs. The veteran forward signed a four-year extension with the team in February 2007.

Tucker's contract included a no-movement clause and he opted not to go through waivers.

The Maple Leafs were busy Tuesday, putting forward Kyle Wellwood and goalie Andrew Raycroft on NHL waivers and possibly paving the way for their exit.

"We put them on waivers, we'll take it one step at a time and we'll see what happens tomorrow," Fletcher said.

Wellwood, 25, had 21 points (8-13) and a minus-12 rating in 59 games last season while earning US$950,000, the last year of his contract. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, it's expected the Leafs will not tender him a qualifying offer which will make him an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Raycroft, 28, appeared in only 19 games last season after losing his starting job to Vesa Toskala. Raycroft went 2-9-5 with a 3.92 goal-against average and .876 save percentage while earning $2 million.

He has one year left on his deal at $2.2 million and it wasn't clear whether Tuesday's move was the first step towards a buyout or not.

"I don't know what they're planning on doing," Raycroft's agent Jordan Neumann said Tuesday. "If it was me, I would put him on recall waivers, see what happens that way, and if he wasn't claimed then I would keep him.

"Because financially it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to buy him out and then add the cost of another replacement goaltender," added Neumann. "It's going to end up costing you roughly the same amount and you're not going to get a guy as good as Andrew.''

However, Toronto can't place Raycroft on re-entry waivers until this fall.

Should the Leafs put Raycroft on re-entry waivers, a team can claim him for half his salary next season. A buyout would be about a $700,000 salary cap hit against the Leafs next season and in 2009-10.

Toronto Maple Leafs - News: Maple Leafs To Buy Out Tucker - 06/24/2008

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Leafs Place Raycroft & Wellwood On Waivers Canadian Press
Jun 24, 2008, 3:05 PM EDT

TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs put forward Kyle Wellwood and goalie Andrew Raycroft on NHL waivers Tuesday, possibly paving the way for their exit.

"We put them on waivers, we'll take it one step at a time and we'll see what happens tomorrow," Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher told The Canadian Press.

Wellwood, 25, had 21 points (8-13) and a minus-12 rating in 59 games last season while earning US$950,000, the last year of his contract. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, it's expected the Leafs will not tender him a qualifying offer which will make him an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Raycroft, 28, appeared in only 19 games last season after losing his starting job to Vesa Toskala. Raycroft went 2-9-5 with a 3.92 goal-against average and .876 save percentage while earning $2 million. He has one year left on his deal at $2.2 million.

Toronto Maple Leafs - News: Leafs Place Raycroft & Wellwood On Waivers - 06/24/2008
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gonna especially miss Tucker , (sorry you gotta be into hockey to know wtf i'm talking about :P)

pjbleek

oh gee, another hockey player has fallen through the hallowed halls of the Make Beliefs....as a Bruins fan I have seen players come and go (Joe Thornton,Sammy Samsonov,Andrew Raycroft,....Ray Bourque/ Bobby Orr even!)
Darcy will pick up somewhere and make the Make Beliefs feel like they traded away Wayne Gretzky!
Keep the faith...he's tough, he'll be picked up!


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SYN

oh man talking about boston... wish Raycroft stayed with your Boston team XD

pjbleek

Raycroft had one bad season and we shipped out of town like he had the bubonic plague!

SYN

but... the Leafs were dumb enough to give you a first round draft pick (believe it was first or third lol)
and Rask

Dumb Leafs! grr

SYN

but like... why it's depressing is first... Mats might not come, Tucker goes, Raycroft sucks!, Kubina is prolly getting traded, McCabe isn't producing enough for how much he is being paid and i could go on and on :P

FreeWorkVest

I am a Blues Fan, I bleed Blue

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SYN

umm Blues... for some reason my favourite player on there team is Lee Stempniak

woot

FreeWorkVest

wow, sorry.

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pjbleek

so, Leafs and Bruins will be on the doormat again.....
**********************************************sigh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh********************************* **

SYN

^ arrgh when you put it like that.... hmm YUP!

and umm... the bruins are actually good nub, they actually made the playoffs -.-

better than my leafs haha

pjbleek

yeah but the Habs should have been kicked out by the Bruins....the Bruins did have some momentum going into game 7.....but they fell right on their a$$e$

SYN

:P there was a saying...

there's always next year hehe

pjbleek

gee, we've been saying that here since 1972!



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Espo,Orr,Cheevers,Cashman....
and to those that didn't get it here...
Neely,Oates,Bourque (although he was/ is my favorite player) I still cant believe he jetted for the Avs.....

FreeWorkVest

At least you got one. The Blues haven't sniffed the finals since 69

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