After being a healthy scratch for several consecutive games, Mark Recchi was finally waived this week by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He went unclaimed.
In a transaction that only occurred on paper, Pittsburgh then recalled Recchi, allowing another team to grab him for half of his current contract—with the Pens on the hook for the other half.
Surprisingly, none of the NHL's cellar-dwellers bit on the bargain. Teams like the Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes passed on Recchi, allowing the Atlanta Thrashers to land him instead.
For the life of me, I cannot figure out why a team like Washington wouldn't take a gamble on the veteran winger—for just half of his $1.75 million contract.
Wouldn't Recchi have looked nice skating alongside Alexander Ovechkin?
I am shocked that Wayne Gretzky, known for his loyalty to veteran players, wouldn't have taken a chance on the 39-year-old in Phoenix.
As it stands, the Thrashers will likely play Recchi on their second line with Bobby Holik and Slava Kozlov. That trio could very well slip under the scouting radar as opponents focus on Ilya Kovalchuk, Todd White, and Marian Hossa.
Atlanta is battling for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and stands to benefit tremendously from the 500-goal scorer's services. The signing is a very good low-risk move for the Thrashers. With a third of the NHL season already in the books, Atlanta's cap hit is really only two-thirds of half of Recchi's salary.
That's a steal.
Despite his age, Recchi is still a capable NHL player. The scouting report on him says he "has relentless energy on the ice and is one of the most durable forwards in the league."
In my opinion, "Rex" is one of the good guys in the NHL. It's a shame the Penguins couldn't find a role for him, but coach Michel Therrien wants to pass the leadership torch to Sidney Crosby.
In order to do that, he needs to make it clear that "Sid the Kid" is the man in Pittsburgh—which means other leaders have to go.
I wish Recchi the best in Atlanta, and hope that he pots a goal tonight against the Capitals—the team that passed on him.
How would that be for poetic justice?
5 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Anonymous about 1 year ago
The Reckingball is a great guy and solid contributor. Any team will benefit from his presence.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Glad to see than someone landed him - Rex is a true class act.
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Josh Kyrzakos about 1 year ago
Turns out he wasn't able to get to Washington in time for tonight's game I guess. Too bad, looks like the Thrasher's could've used him.
Oh well, at least he'll have a few days to practice with his new linemates before his Atlanta debut on Wednesday against the Bruins.
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Dan Gray about 1 year ago
I wish Ferguson had a few brains in his head. Toronto could use some more leadership, and gritty determination. Yes they are playing much better as of late, but adding Recchi to any line would be a bonus.
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Josh Kyrzakos about 1 year ago
The way waivers work is teams are given preference in order of reverse winning percentage. Believe it or not the Leafs had a better record than the Thrashers on the date he cleared waivers. Therefore Don Waddell claimed Recchi before Ferguson ever had a chance.
Who knows, maybe Ferguson did put a claim in, we'll never know.
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