A few teams have some salary cap issues to address before the season starts. The Rangers have already gotten a jump on things by putting Wade Redden on waivers. Other teams, like the Toronto Maple Leafs, still have some questions of their own to answer as far as what they’ll do to get under the $59.4 million cap.
While fans and some media alike are suspecting that defenseman Jeff Finger and his $3.5 million cap hit will be put on waivers, James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail finds out that Brian Burke thinks a bit differently.
“This speculation that Jeff Finger has been earmarked for assignment, I don’t think is fair to Jeff,” Burke said on a conference call announcing 21 training camp cuts. “It’s not what a professional athlete who signs as a free agent is entitled to.
“I think he’s entitled to a fair look. You can’t come in with a preconceived notion that that’s how you’re going to solve your cap issue. That’s not fair to the player. You start doing stuff like that then players aren’t going sign with your organization.”
How Burke plays this will be fascinating because he’s done nothing but give the appearance of being honorable towards the players when it comes to keeping their rights and commitments in mind while under contract. If the Leafs move to send Finger to the AHL, how Burke handles the attention brought by that will be interesting. Perhaps getting Garth Snow on the phone to talk about their recent opening on the blue line with Mark Streit out for six months wouldn’t be a bad idea.