Apparently scared off by his $5.75 million salary for next season, all 29 NHL teams passed on Ducks defenseman Mathieu Schneider, who cleared waivers at 9 a.m. this morning.
The Ducks are still about $3 million over the $56.7 million NHL salary cap – and without Teemu Selanne – with three days left until training camp. So what’s next?
– The Ducks could send Schneider, a 20-year veteran to the AHL, another team could claim him, and the Ducks would eat half (about $2.9 million) of Schneider’s contract.
– The Ducks could keep Schneider and try to find $3 million-plus in salary elsewhere on the roster to shed.
– Brian Burke puts that Harvard law degree to use and does something really creative. Details to follow …
Update – 1:30 p.m.
Burke said in a conference call via Boston that “it’s back to Plan A.” Meaning he will try to trade Schneider using the avenues he’s explored over the past month rather than send him to the AHL – or trade anyone else’s contract. He also strongly expressed that nothing is imminent, that he is prepared to start camp with Schneider and without Selanne, and wait until another team becomes more desperate (by virtue of injuries, for example) to trade for Schneider.
That’s the jist of it. More details in tomorrow morning’s editions.