The Toronto Maple Leafs decided to give forward Mikhail Grabovski a compliance buyout on Thursday afternoon, which was a decision that received a fair amount of scrutiny.
Mikhail Grabovski calls out Randy Carlyle
Mikhail Grabovski was administered a compliance buyout on Thursday afternoon. He had some colorful words to say about his former coach Randy Carlyle.
Claus Andersen
In a strategic sense, some believed the move to be beneficial to the Maple Leafs in order to remove the final four years of Grabovksi’s five-year, $27.5 million contract that accounted for $5.5 million against the salary cap. Others viewed this as a detrimental move that could lead to excessive spending when free agency begins on July 5. In addition, Grabovski is viewed as a center who is able to drive possession on a team that is lacking depth up the middle.
Regardless of viewpoint, it’s universally accepted that coach Randy Carlyle was not a fan of Grabovski. Grabovski made it known on Thursday that he is not a fan of Carlyle, either. In speaking with Jonas Siegal of TSN, Grabovski expressed his frustration with the coach.
A taste of Grabovski on Carlyle: "Don’t put me on a [expletive] third line and then [expletive] play [me] six minutes in a game."
— Jonas Siegel (@jonasTSN1050) July 4, 2013
Originally circulating as a tweet, TSN later released audio of the exchange. It’s colorful to say the least:
Grabovski will become an unrestricted free agent at noon on Friday and can sign with any team of his choosing with the exception of the Maple Leafs (as if that would happen anyway).
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