Toronto Maple Leafs sign Clarke MacArthur
The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Clarke MacArthur to a one-year contract worth $1.1 million. MacArthur spent last season split between the Buffalo Sabres and the Atlanta Thrashers. The Alberta native became a free agent when Atlanta walked away from an arbitrator’s salary award of $2.4 million.
MacArthur was selected 74th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round of the 2003 National Hockey League entry draft. The winger joined the Sabres franchise in the 2005-06 season, spending the majority of the next three seasons with their American Hockey League affiliate the Rochester Americans, earning short stints with the big club. MacArthur finally earned a full time spot in the 2008-09 season in which he registered 31 points. Last year MacArthur was traded by the Sabres to the Thrashers at the trade deadline.
The Maple Leafs head into next season with a great deal of uncertainty up front, with a multitude of players fighting for several spots. MacArthur will join several left wingers looking to become staples in the Leafs roster next year.
MacArthur will be battling for a spot as the clubs third or fourth line left winger. With Kris Versteeg and Nikolai Kulemin expected to take the top two spots, he will be battling Luca Caputi, Mike Brown and Marcel Mueller for the last two positions. It would not be far-fetched to assume that the 25-year-old could start the season on the Leafs third line.
The MacArthur signing is a solid one by general manager Brian Burke. at only $1.1 million and with a one-year term he does not present much of a risk. Moreover, the Leafs had roughly $2 million in cap space to work with and MacArthur is a good acquisition while remaining below the League limit.
Last season split between Buffalo and Atlanta MacArthur tallied 16 goals and 19 assists for 35 points.
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