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Cap issue addressed by waiving
McLaren
Veteran defenseman can still land in
Worcester
10/7/08 - By Mike Lee
The
Kyle McLaren era has most likely come to an end in San Jose. The hard hitting
defenseman was placed on waivers by the Sharks on Tuesday, bringing some
closure to the long anticipated separation. The Sharks are over the NHL salary
cap, and a glut of talent on the blueline made McLaren's and his $2.5 million
salary expendable.
The 12-year NHL veteran spent 5 season in San Jose
where he recorded only 83 points in 302 games for the Sharks, but his hits were
the thing that made him a fan favorite. Known for bone-crushing checks,
McLaren's strong suit also played a part in his demise as a Shark.
After appearing in a career high 77 games for San Jose in 2005-06, his playing
time started to diminish because of frequent trips to the injured list. A
chronic knee injury resulted in surgery last January, which resulted in a 10
game absence, then a recurring issue forced him to miss another 6 games toward
the end of the regular season.
McLaren would see action in only 5 of
San Jose's 13 playoff games. He missed the entire series against Dallas because
the knee wasn't cooperating during the Sharks win over Calgary in the
conference quarterfinals.
"Kyle has been a tremendous professional
through this," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. "We're trying to do
what's right for him, so we'll see what the next few days brings."
Should McLaren clear waivers, the Sharks could assign him to Worcester, their
AHL affiliate. Should McLaren reject the assignment, San Jose could release him
outright. San Jose would still be obligated to pay his salary, but in either
case, they would be relieved of the cap hit.
Two of McLaren's more
memorable moments as a Shark came at the expense of opponents.
His hit
on Petr Cajanek in Game 2 of the Sharks Western Conference quarter final game
against the St Louis Blues in April of 2004 came before a national television
audience. Already known as a big hitter, the play showcased the Sharks
defensive weapon.
His hip check on Trevor Letowski of the Columbus Blue
Jackets in January of 2005 may go down as his biggest masterpiece. While
Letowski carried the puck into the Sharks zone along the left wing boards at HP
Pavilion, McLaren fooled Letwoski into believing that the deenseman's attention
was focused away from the puck by pretending to direct traffic with his hand.
After Letowski dished the puck with his head down, McLaren shifted his weight
and closed on the Columbus forward in the blink of an eye. The open ice hit,
sent Letowski flying through the air, then crashing into the corner boards.
The lighter side of the defenseman came out in a segment of San Jose's
"Shark Byte" television show. In the segment, McLaren demonstrates the art of
hitting on Sharks television color analyst Drew Remenda. McLaren pounded
Remenda with a variety of hits, including a smothering shot against the glass.
Remenda looked like a rag doll during the segment.
Morris & Moore
Sent to Worcester
The Sharks also announced on Tuesday that they had
sent right winger Mike Morris and defenseman Mike Moore to Worcester.
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