Dan Cloutier

IT WOULD APPEAR THE NHL CAREER OF GOALTENDER DAN CLOUTIER IS OVER…
TODAY THE L.A. KINGS PLACED CLOUTIER ON WAIVERS…AND PLAN TO SEND HIM DOWN TO THE MINORS…
AS A RESULT…CLOUTIER WILL NOT BE WITH THE KINGS WHEN THEY OPEN THE REGULAR SEASON AT THE END OF THE MONTH IN LONDON ENGLAND…
THERE IS CERTAINLY THE POSSIBILITY OF CLOUTIER BEING RE-CALLED IN THE CASE OF AN INJURY…
BUT IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY HE WILL BE CLAIMED BY ANOTHER TEAM…
HERE’S THE PROBLEM…
CLOUTIER HAS 2 YEARS LEFT ON HIS CONTRACT AT $3.1 MILLION PER SEASON…
ANY TEAM WILLING TO TAKE A GAMBLE WOULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR HALF THAT AMOUNT WITH THE KINGS PICKING UP THE REST…
THAT STILL WORKS OUT TO OVER $1.5 MILLION PER SEASON…
THAT’S A LOT FOR A GOALTENDER WHO CAN NOT SEEM TO STAY HEALTHY AND HAS NEVER SHOWN THE ABILITY TO WIN IN THE PLAYOFFS…
HERE IS A LOOK AT HIS RECENT MEDICAL RECORD…
LAST YEAR CLOUTIER MISSED 44 GAMES…THANKS TO A HIP INJURY…
THE SEASON BEFORE IN VANCOUVER HE MISSED 60 GAMES WITH A KNEE INJURY…
IN 2004 CLOUTIER WENT DOWN IN GAME 3 OF THE CALGARY SERIES AND WAS GONE FOR THE REST OF THE PLAYOFFS…
IT IS THE PLAYOFFS THAT HAVE BEEN THE SCENE OF CLOUTIERS BIGGEST NIGHTMARES…
IN 2002 THE CANUCKS WON THE FIRST TWO GAMES IN DETROIT…
GAME 3 IN VANCOUVER WAS TIED 1…ALL LATE IN THE SECOND PERIOD…WHEN NIK LIDSTROM BEAT CLOUTIER FROM CENTER ICE…
AS SOFT AS THAT GOAL WAS…THE REAL DAMAGE WAS THE MELTDOWN THAT FOLLOWED…
THE CANUCKS GAVE UP 14 GOALS IN THE NEXT 3 GAMES AND CLOUTIER WAS PULLED IN GAMES 5 AND 6…
IN 2003…THE CANUCKS WERE UP 3 GAMES TO 1 TO MINNESOTA…
THEN CAME ANOTHER MELTDOWN…16 GOALS IN 3 GAMES…INCLUDING 4 STRAIGHT IN GAME 7…
THE SAD PART OF ALL THIS…IS DAN CLOUTIER IS A QUALITY PERSON…
WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT…YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY SO MANY COACHES AND GENERAL MANAGERS HAVE SUPPORTED HIM ALL THESE YEARS…
UNFORUNATLY TODAY IN LOS ANGELES…THAT SUPPORT RAN OUT…