TORONTO — All that remains of David Clarkson’s tenure with the Maple Leafs is the nameplate that once hung over his locker. It’s been taped on a wall — alongside those of every other former Toronto player since 1999 — in a back area of the team’s dressing room at Air Canada Centre.
There’s been a lot of new names added lately: Cody Franson. Mike Santorelli. Daniel Winnik. Clarkson.
There might still be more by Monday afternoon.
It wasn’t so long ago when Leafs players were openly questioning media reports about a forthcoming rebuild, but that’s since been replaced by acceptance. The jig is up. Clarkson figured to be the last guy who would be dealt until waking up to a text from his agent on Thursday afternoon.
He had come to represent what was fundamentally wrong with the Leafs — a cap-strapped team heading nowhere while anchored by big contracts — and so his move to Columbus signals the dawning of a new era in Toronto.
Clarkson was candid about his experience here on the way out the door. There was much happiness on July 5, 2013 — the day he signed a $36.75-million, seven-year deal with his hometown team — and it never got any better than that.
“For me personally I think the highlight was that first day when I signed that piece of paper and to see the look on my dad’s face and how proud he was,” Clarkson said Friday on a conference call. “Not just that I was in the NHL, but I was able to sign with a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs and to be a part of something that my dad raised me cheering for as a young boy.”
By now we all know that reality wasn’t nearly as kind to him as the feeling of a dream realized. The Leafs misjudged and overvalued Clarkson’s ability and there was nothing he could do on the ice to justify that contract.
In Columbus, where the Blue Jackets are thrilled to have someone in the lineup rather than paying Nathan Horton big money to sit for five more years, all he needs to do is play.
And so we move forward with a watchful eye on the Leafs.
There is a genuine thirst for change in the executive suite and several teams around the league looking to make a splash. Don’t be surprised if another core player is shipped out of town before the trade deadline in addition to a rental like veteran centre Olli Jokinen.
It’s an uncomfortable feeling for those left in limbo.
“We’ve put ourselves in this position where we’re at in the standings and there’s going to be changes,” observed captain Dion Phaneuf after Thursday’s 3-2 win over Philadelphia.
“It’s tough,” added Tyler Bozak. “You build friendships with guys. But you have to realize it’s a business. I’ve been here six years, I’ve seen a lot guys come in and go.”
Interim coach Peter Horachek has tried to make things as easy on his players as possible. They were given Friday off — and thus avoided another day of trade-related questions — before playing in Montreal on Saturday and Washington on Sunday.
Beyond that, the roster will likely be weakened further by a trade or two made with an eye towards the future.
The final six weeks of the season are shaping up to be a long slog.
Clarkson couldn’t pinpoint where exactly things went off the rails this year, but expressed a belief that the Leafs are better than their record. Team president Brendan Shanahan challenged the players to prove that with their play during a closed-door meeting on Jan. 9 and Toronto has gone 4-14-2 since.
“It just seemed to spiral on us as a team,” said Clarkson. “We just couldn’t find ways to win. Confidence is a big thing in hockey … and I think a lot of as players and everybody was tending to lose their confidence there a bit, the puck wasn’t going in.”
Perhaps the most interesting revelation from general manager Dave Nonis following the Clarkson-Horton trade was that the Leafs aren’t likely to be a cap team next season. That’s never happened before.
It is also a public acknowledgement that the team will be shedding more salary — a message that has clearly trickled down to the dressing room.
“No one is safe these days, that’s for sure,” said second-year centre Peter Holland. “Everyone is probably a little bit nervous when the phone rings. Maybe at the same time it’s a little bit of a good thing — it’s a wake-up call.”
That doesn’t seem to be a widely-shared opinion among his teammates. For the players who have spent a few years here, this is starting to feel more like an end rather than a beginning.
Joffrey Lupul smirked when asked how anxious he was to see the deadline put in the rear-view mirror.
“Yeah, if it means I’ll get to stop answering these questions I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
Only a couple more days now. Maybe a few more nameplates to be added to the wall and we’ll all move on.