The man Maple Leafs fans dubbed as the next Wendel Clark is back in Toronto after the Vegas Golden Knights sent David Clarkson and a 4th round pick in 2020 to the Leafs in exchange for Garret Sparks on Tuesday evening.
Considering David Clarkson hasn’t suited up for an NHL game since the 2015-16 season when he was still with the Columbus Blue Jackets, a lot of hockey fans were extremely confused by this acquisition and there were plenty of jokes mixed in with the confusion.
Shortly after the Leafs announced the Sparks deal they also made it official that they’ve signed goalie Michal Neuvirth to a PTO and will now be in the running for the team’s back-up goalie position.
Clarkson signed a 7-year, $36.75 million contract with the Maple Leafs back on July 5, 2013, but only ended up playing 118 regular season games in a Maple Leafs uniform before he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2014-15 season. During his time in Toronto, Clarkson scored 15 goals and 26 points.
