from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,
They are both right wings. They were leaders for New York-area teams. They play rugged, in-your-face games. They can score goals on the power play and in even-strength situations.
Ryan Callahan could become the next David Clarkson. And that’s not necessarily a good thing. Clarkson was never drafted. But after signing with the Devils, he didn’t take long to become an important player. In 426 games with New Jersey, Clarkson scored 97 goals and 73 assists while racking up 770 penalty minutes.
In his final season in New Jersey, Clarkson led his team with 15 goals (six on the power play) in 48 games. He averaged 17:35 of ice time, including 3:33 on the power play. He dropped the gloves six times, according to www.hockeyfights.com. The Devils had more shot attempts than they allowed with Clarkson playing.
Clarkson turned his body of work into a seven-year, $36.75 million bonanza with Toronto. One year in, it looks like one of the league’s worst contracts. After serving a 10-game suspension for leaving the bench during a preseason game against Buffalo, things didn’t get much better for Clarkson. He scored five goals and six assists in 60 games while averaging 15:06 of ice time.
Callahan loves Clarkson’s contract. The former Rangers captain could probably do better. In 470 games, Callahan has 138 goals and 127 assists. In 45 games with the Rangers this season, Callahan scored 11 goals and 14 assists while logging 17:57 of ice time per game.
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