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He has cleared waivers now.
Schneider the pawn as GMs haggle
*September 16th, 2008, 12:46 pm; DAN WOOD, OCREGISTER.COM
Tuesday?s move to place veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider on waivers marked the latest ploy by Ducks general manager Brian Burke in a fascinating and somewhat cruel poker game with a handful of his NHL counterparts.
It has been clear for months that the Ducks need to get out from under Schneider?s $5.625 million salary-cap hit, both because the club is between $2million and $3 million above the league?s $56.7 million ceiling, and because space needs to be cleared to accommodate a new contract for unrestricted free-agent right wing Teemu Selanne.
The problem is that Burke hasn?t been able to get another general manager to bite on Schneider, even though a number of teams have expressed interest. The Kings, Vancouver Canucks and New York Islanders have been mentioned most prominently, with the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins perhaps also in the mix.
Every other general manager knows Burke is in a tough spot with Schneider. None have been willing to merely take Schneider off the Ducks? hands, instead asking for something else in return. That might mean the Ducks taking back a player that another team doesn?t want, one not as expensive as Schneider but one who would lessen the Ducks? net financial gain. Another possibility would be for the Ducks to add something, say a draft pick, to the deal.
With neither of those options acceptable to Burke, at least so far, the Ducks decided to go the waiver route. Any of the 29 other NHL teams can claim Schneider before a 9 a.m. (PDT) Wednesday deadline, with priority going in inverse order of last season?s final standings. In essence, Burke is telling other general managers that if they want Schneider, now is the time because Wednesday might be too late.
Even if Schneider goes unclaimed, the move to put him on waivers could goose another team into action on the trade market, after Wednesday?s waiver deadline - though such a deal would likely mean the Ducks giving up something else, as well.
If Schneider is not claimed, the Ducks would have the option of sending him to the minor leagues, but his entire salary-cap hit would still be on the club?s books, so that would accomplish nothing. If Schneider were sent to the minor leagues, he would then be subject to waivers again before the Ducks could recall him. At that point, teams would have the option of claiming him for half his salary, and the Ducks would be on the hook for the other half.
What appears clear is that unless the Ducks are fortunate and another club claims Schneider, or they go an entirely different direction and trade another player or group of players, it is going to be very difficult to clear enough cap space to sign Selanne. It could come down to the Ducks being able to offer Selanne little more than the NHL?s minimum salary, say $500,000, which might prove once and for all Selanne?s long-held contention that money is nowhere near the top of his priority list.
Through all this, Schneider can only continue to sit and wait, long after he had hoped this matter would be settled. If there is no resolution by Friday, when the Ducks are scheduled to report to training camp, Schneider is likely to be in the awkward position of having to be there.
Schneider the pawn as GMs haggle
*September 16th, 2008, 12:46 pm; DAN WOOD, OCREGISTER.COM
Tuesday?s move to place veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider on waivers marked the latest ploy by Ducks general manager Brian Burke in a fascinating and somewhat cruel poker game with a handful of his NHL counterparts.
It has been clear for months that the Ducks need to get out from under Schneider?s $5.625 million salary-cap hit, both because the club is between $2million and $3 million above the league?s $56.7 million ceiling, and because space needs to be cleared to accommodate a new contract for unrestricted free-agent right wing Teemu Selanne.
The problem is that Burke hasn?t been able to get another general manager to bite on Schneider, even though a number of teams have expressed interest. The Kings, Vancouver Canucks and New York Islanders have been mentioned most prominently, with the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins perhaps also in the mix.
Every other general manager knows Burke is in a tough spot with Schneider. None have been willing to merely take Schneider off the Ducks? hands, instead asking for something else in return. That might mean the Ducks taking back a player that another team doesn?t want, one not as expensive as Schneider but one who would lessen the Ducks? net financial gain. Another possibility would be for the Ducks to add something, say a draft pick, to the deal.
With neither of those options acceptable to Burke, at least so far, the Ducks decided to go the waiver route. Any of the 29 other NHL teams can claim Schneider before a 9 a.m. (PDT) Wednesday deadline, with priority going in inverse order of last season?s final standings. In essence, Burke is telling other general managers that if they want Schneider, now is the time because Wednesday might be too late.
Even if Schneider goes unclaimed, the move to put him on waivers could goose another team into action on the trade market, after Wednesday?s waiver deadline - though such a deal would likely mean the Ducks giving up something else, as well.
If Schneider is not claimed, the Ducks would have the option of sending him to the minor leagues, but his entire salary-cap hit would still be on the club?s books, so that would accomplish nothing. If Schneider were sent to the minor leagues, he would then be subject to waivers again before the Ducks could recall him. At that point, teams would have the option of claiming him for half his salary, and the Ducks would be on the hook for the other half.
What appears clear is that unless the Ducks are fortunate and another club claims Schneider, or they go an entirely different direction and trade another player or group of players, it is going to be very difficult to clear enough cap space to sign Selanne. It could come down to the Ducks being able to offer Selanne little more than the NHL?s minimum salary, say $500,000, which might prove once and for all Selanne?s long-held contention that money is nowhere near the top of his priority list.
Through all this, Schneider can only continue to sit and wait, long after he had hoped this matter would be settled. If there is no resolution by Friday, when the Ducks are scheduled to report to training camp, Schneider is likely to be in the awkward position of having to be there.
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