MacArthur likely to become UFA
Thrashers forward Clarke MacArthur will likely become an unrestricted free agent in the next day or two. MacArthur filed for arbitration and his hearing is set for tomorrow. However, don’t be surprised if the Thrashers walk away from what will be an award of more than $2 million a season. I’m hearing they will most likely walk, making MacArthur an UFA.
With that being the case, the arbitrator could rule as early as today – before there is a hearing.
The Thrashers made a qualifying offer to MacArthur, who was a restricted free agent, in June. Since then, the Thrashers made several moves, including the trade for Andrew Ladd.
A $2 million award would figure to be more money than the Thrashers are willing to pay for a third-line player on their revamped roster.
I’m also hearing that the Thrashers will likely avoid arbitration with Ben Eager, who has a hearing date set for Aug. 3. That deal could be announced in the next several days.
Ladd has an arbitration hearing set for July 29. As of now, it looks like that hearing will take place.
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50 comments Add your comment
Jeff97
July 20th, 2010
11:26 am
First!
kracker
July 20th, 2010
11:26 am
From thr RH blog: That makes a roster spot available. For a FA, a vet in a trade or for a young ‘un?
Smoothie
July 20th, 2010
11:27 am
Thanks C-Viv for the update! No big deal if we have to walk away from C-Mac as we have plenty of other options still. And obviously getting Ladd takes one of the 3rd line wing spots.
Good news on Eager, didn’t think that one would go to arb. But we must avoid arb with Ladd I think. Otherwise we’ll get him for a year and then repeat the whole process over again…could foster ill-will.
Just get him inked for 2 years and $2.5 M per. Get ‘er done Duds!
kracker
July 20th, 2010
11:28 am
How is it known that the aribitrator will rule for MacArthur if there has been no hearing?
Telfo
July 20th, 2010
11:31 am
there is no ruling for or against him. It is just a ruling on his salary number.
Telfo
July 20th, 2010
11:32 am
I hope we avoid arbitration with Ladd. That would mean only a one or two year deal. I would rather lock him up for 3 years.
Russian
July 20th, 2010
11:33 am
Arthur, Are lost your mind???? $2 M!!!! For What????? He is a 3-d line player. Make him UFA. We have Comrie, Akim and other young player for 3-4 line.
kracker
July 20th, 2010
11:34 am
Ok, how is it known at this point that the salary amount will be $2M?
J.B.
July 20th, 2010
11:36 am
when did we pick up Comrie?
kracker
July 20th, 2010
11:39 am
He means Cormier.
J-man
July 20th, 2010
11:46 am
kracker – It’s just a guess that the arbitration decision MIGHT be $2 million based on similar cases in the past.
I’m a bit puzzled by Dudley’s seeming indifference to the whole RFA process with players on the roster, but then again DW was pretty much the same when he was GM.
Chris Vivlamore
July 20th, 2010
11:48 am
kracker: Trust me.
Just Curious
July 20th, 2010
11:50 am
Wow…..I feel like I’m reading tomorrow’s news TODAY!
J.B.
July 20th, 2010
11:53 am
thanks kracker. right after i asked the question, i realized what russian was saying.
posted on twitter a little while ago how that $$$ would be much better spent on partial/potential salary for one or two of stempniak, ponikarovsky, max, frolov, etc. Many many many options better than MacArthur for $2M
Russ
July 20th, 2010
12:03 pm
MacArthur is obviously not worth $2 mil per season and obviously wansn’t worth the 2 picks DW gave up for him.
As for Ladd, I’m not worried if he goes to arbitration. Yes, I would prefer him not to, but I can’t imagine it would be a “mud-slinging” type of arbitration. He is wanted here or we wouldn’t have traded for him and because the Thrashers aren’t even at the floor of the cap I would think they would be happy to pay what ever he is awarded. So, if a new deal can’t be worked out before arbitration they will still have all season to work out an extension (assuming they aren’t still going with DW’s stupid policy of not negotiating during the season).
Joe Friday
July 20th, 2010
12:05 pm
Good, I did not like MacArthur’s game, but I also don’t like pissing the draft picks away that he cost us. Chalk that one up to a mistake and move on.
I do not want to see them go to arb. with Ladd, get that deal done without arbitration, I wonder if that award is holding us up before we make other moves.
“I’m a bit puzzled by Dudley’s seeming indifference to the whole RFA process with players on the roster, but then again DW was pretty much the same when he was GM.”
You figuring out yet who’s really still in charge?
Smoothie
July 20th, 2010
12:06 pm
Yes Russ, that policy has hopefully died a sweet death with Peverley’s mid-season extension last fall.
I think Stempniak might be the best option if we don’t go after Poni (Antropov’s buddy) as he would give us flexibility throughout the top 9. If he’s slumping, he’s capable of sliding down to the 3rd line. If he’s playing well and scoring, then he’s a great fit on the 2nd line. Little can probably benefit from some time on the 3rd line since there is less pressure to score and he’s such a solid and aggressive back-checking presence.
Smoothie
July 20th, 2010
12:11 pm
Yes, it’s obviously Larry Simmons who’s calling the shots!
Only a couple of teams have signed their RFA’s this early so relax on that Joe. Also, on the draft picks, they already had the replacement picks through the Schneider and Lehtonen trades so perhaps they felt the picks traded to Buffalo were expendable. I’d say we did alright with Melchiori and Telegin, but of course you knew that already right?
Thrashers27
July 20th, 2010
12:18 pm
That’s what I wanted to hear about C-Mac…although, to me it seems like it was a waste of our resources to even trade for him at all. He provided little, or nothing to the team last season. I would have rather seen Machachek fill that roster spot.
I’m on the Stempniak train right now. Poni would be good too!
Just Curious
July 20th, 2010
12:19 pm
Joe Friday: Why don’t you ever post as Sage of Bluesland or bugman anymore?
Sherry Taylor
July 20th, 2010
12:37 pm
MacArthur had one really good game for the Thrashers, his first, after that he was un-spectacular. $2 million is too much for an uninspiring player.
The Real Thrash
July 20th, 2010
1:19 pm
So we throw away a 3rd and 4th round pick for someone we keep for 4 months.
Yeah that makes sense.
Alan R.
July 20th, 2010
1:22 pm
You figuring out yet who’s really still in charge?
IT’S A CONSPIRACY!!!1!
Sigh. That’s some mind-numbing BS right there.
Stat Man
July 20th, 2010
1:37 pm
You know – I always though there was no bigger loser than someone that has to claim being “first”.
I will now amend that as Jeff97 declared first (who the hell cares?) AND added no comment. Son, you need to spend your time reading the want ads or something instead of being “first” and not even commenting.
Now then as for MacArthur – no way he gets $2 million with the lineup set as it is. I’m still hoping for, among other things, Afinavnov (sp?) to re-up and that $2 mil would certainly help.
Hollywould
July 20th, 2010
1:49 pm
C-Viv, What happened with Arthukin? sorry for the spelling if wrong.
Zombie Steve
July 20th, 2010
1:52 pm
C ya, C-Mac. We hardly knew ye.
MacArthur may not return | Atlanta Thrashers: Iceman
July 20th, 2010
1:56 pm
[...] of all…I’ll apologize upfront for the title of today’s blog. But given C-Viv’s recent report, I figured there was only a limited amount of time left to dispose of all of the Gen. MacArthur [...]
Chris Vivlamore
July 20th, 2010
3:11 pm
Former Thrashers assistant Randy Cunneyworth hired as Hamilton Bulldogs coach.
george
July 20th, 2010
3:21 pm
WOuld rather sign Berfors and Little to 2-2.5 each. If you give Macs that much as a third liner you would have to give these other 2 at least 3-3.5M
R. Stroz
July 20th, 2010
4:13 pm
Someone should have told the arbitrator not to inhale.
KLS1
July 20th, 2010
4:18 pm
Need to clear space for young guys to develop…and the Thrashers were not a very good hockey team. If you didn’t stand out as a player to build around over the last couple years, then you are not worth keeping.
This team needs a $2M Clarke MacArthur like they needed a $10M Kovy…give me a break.
R. Stroz
July 20th, 2010
4:25 pm
Maybe someone will buy MacArthur a kilt to match Kovys.
EA
July 20th, 2010
5:38 pm
Did anybody notice the Thrasher blue tie Kovalchuk wore to the Devils (red) press conference? Perhaps it is just one of his favorites. Just sayin. . . Also, Brodeur mentioned that the Devils gave up “a lot” in the trade for Kovalchuk.
Brendan
July 20th, 2010
6:21 pm
What’d we give up for Clark MacArthur? A 4th and 5th round pick? If we were the Red Wings, we have reason to be angry. We’re the Thrashers. I cannot name a 4th or 5th round pick that played 20 games for Atlanta, through a decade. 4th and 5th round picks are, generally speaking, used to bolster the Farm team. Once you get past pick # 35 in a draft, you’re really taking a “shot in the dark.” The teams that know what they’re doing tend to find someone. And, yes, there’s LUCK involved, too.
I’m not too terribly upset that we gave up these picks for Clark MacArthur. It’s a smarter move not to be hampered by a hefty salary, then to attempt to justify the outlay at the trade deadline. Just as I believe that Lou Lamoriello just wanted Kovalchuk, much moreso that any perception that he had to justify the expenditure of Bergfors, Cormier, and Oduya.
And it might cost the Devils more than that (Cormier, Bergfors, Oduya, and 1st rounder) when you figure that they still pretty much need to move Rolston, Zubrus, and possibly Zajac, down the road, as a result of the Kovalchuk signing. Let’s not forget something, here. That owners still has to shell out the money, no matter what Kovalchuk’s cap hit is. While the cap hit is $6.0 million, he’s paying out $11.5 million to Kovalchuk. That still matters. Or, it should.
sisu
July 20th, 2010
6:41 pm
not likely to see too many 3 year deals right now with the labor dispute looming. Any news on how Cormiers case will effect him being in training camp C-Viv?
R. Stroz
July 20th, 2010
7:28 pm
Brendan – We gave up a 3rd & 4th round pick.
One of those picks could have been used to pick up Teemu Pulkkinen.
Smoothie
July 20th, 2010
7:44 pm
Stroz – I was surprised Pulkkinen dropped to the late part of the 4th round, but we opted to take Ivan Telegin with our 4th round pick 10 picks ahead of Teemu.
While we gave up picks, we replaced them through the Schneider and Lehtonen trades.
So essentially we traded Mathieu Schneider, Kari Lehtonen and our original 3rd and 4th round picks this year for Julian Melchiori, Ivan Telegin, 27 games of Clarke MacArthur. Considering the fact that roughly 80-90% of 3rd and 4th rounders never make it to the NHL, I think we won’t necessarily be worse off without C-Mac. Especially considering we have several players like Cormier, Machacek and Pettersson vying for spots in camp. We’ll be fine.
Section119
July 20th, 2010
8:09 pm
Enter your comments here
The guys on Home Ice, or one of the XM radio shows, were saying Ladd go get awarded $4 million per year.
Chris Vivlamore
July 20th, 2010
8:29 pm
sisu: Cormier will be in training camp. His attorney will enter plea on Sept. 20. He won’t miss any time – in camp.
Flames
July 20th, 2010
10:22 pm
Kovy deal rejected by the NHL. I love it!
Sage of Blueland
July 20th, 2010
10:46 pm
Holy hell: NHL says no-no to Kovaljoke!!! No figure 8’s for you!!!!!
Brendan
July 20th, 2010
11:59 pm
What? It was denied??? Did they cite a reason?, other than general dishonesty. I was thinking that in the years 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027, that the league minimum had to be more than $550,000, which is Kovalchuk’s “scheduled” salary.
Brendan
July 21st, 2010
12:04 am
R.Stroz, thanks for the clarification on the draft picks for MacArthur. That is worse than a 4th and a 5th. What I’ve seen with 3rd round picks … is that they’re traded for bottom six forwards, like Chris Thorburn. Or Clarke MacArthur. Now, granted, we held on to Thorburn a whole heckuva lot longer than MacArthur Park, but that 4th rounder really is nothing. If a team, any team, lands a top six forward for a top four defender with a 3rd rounder, it is a rousing success.
Brendan
July 21st, 2010
12:11 am
Sure enough, here’s the item at tsn.ca, that cites three news sources are reporting that the NHL rejected the Kovalchuk contract on the grounds that it circumvents the salary cap. Here’s the link, if you haven’t seen it. The story was updated at 11:05 PM. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=534722
Sage of Bluesland
July 21st, 2010
12:32 am
Wait, so Ilya took less money to play with NJ instead of Hotlanta, and the league won’t even let him do that?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KLS1
July 21st, 2010
10:11 am
“Superstars” are a pain in the butt…what a load of crap he is putting everyone through. Glad it is the Devils and not the Thrash…for once the light shined on us and he walked away.
Bits and Bites | Blueland Blog: The Official Blog Of The Atlanta Thrashers
July 21st, 2010
11:27 am
[...] – There should be some Clarke MacArthur news soon, but probably not anything too surprising if you’ve been reading Chris Vivlamore’s stuff. [...]
Thrasher$uperfan88
July 21st, 2010
5:56 pm
Hopefully we see either Poni or Stemp coming into camp this year… But I don’y get why Devils’ GM knew the offer was going to be rejected by the NHL and still made the offer to Kovy
Atlanta Walks Away From Clarke MacArthur | The Vancouver Canucks
July 23rd, 2010
1:23 am
[...] Clarke MacArthur was awarded a $2.4 million contract, but Atlanta walked away from the deal instead of accepting it. This was rumored before the arbitration hearing occurred. [...]
Bits and Bites : FeO News
August 2nd, 2010
9:45 am
[...] – There should be some Clarke MacArthur news soon, but probably not anything too surprising if you’ve been reading Chris Vivlamore’s stuff. [...]