Former Maple Leaf David Clarkson is very excited to have been traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Thursday the Leafs traded Clarkson to Columbus for injured forward Nathan Horton. Clarkson has been a big disappointment since arriving in Toronto and signing a seven-year $36.75 million dollar contract, scoring 15 goals in 115 games for the team.
Clarkson is very happy to be traded even though he had always dreamed of playing for the Leafs.
"When I became a free agent, I picked [Toronto]. I dreamed of wearing [the Maple Leafs] jersey as a kid, and I don't regret it."
"[My time in Toronto] was hard for me. I'm a proud person. I care. I want to win. But I think now with this new start, I'm excited and I'm over the moon about it to get down there and to get a fresh start."
As Toronto watches Clarkson go they are of course saying all the right things. Leafs GM Dave Nonis said after the trade that he "loves David" and that,
"Sometimes players, for whatever reason, don't fit in a certain city or certain organization,"
That being said, Toronto was so willing to get rid of Clarkson that they traded him for a player in Horton with a degenerative back condition that could end his career. They basically traded Clarkson for nothing and they are totally fine with that. Maybe Clarkson isn't the only one to be over the moon that he is out of town.
