Six years after leaving Toronto, Darcy Tucker is still signing autographs for the Maple Leafs.

Six years after buying him out, the Leafs have finally stopped mailing him a regular paycheque.

Tucker has been receiving a million dollars annually since then Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher decided in 2008 that the franchise wanted to go in another direction. Tucker, now 39, played eight seasons in Toronto, and the club made the playoffs in five of them (and missed by one and two points, respectively, in the two years after the 2004-05 lockout).

Since then, the Leafs have made the playoffs just once, and have committed $221.5 million through 2018 and beyond to six core players (Dion Phaneuf, Tyler Bozak, David Clarkson, Joffrey Lupul, Phil Kessel and James Van Riemsdyk) in the hopes they will lift the team back into the post-season.

In total, Toronto’s current payroll, with a league-low 12 players signed for next season, is $48.7 million. And Tucker’s name, which was on the salary chart for six years following his departure, is finally off the books.

At the time, Tucker’s buyout was the among the largest ever in the NHL, but it’s nowhere near the monster payouts being seen by Vincent Lecavalier, whose 11-year, $85 million deal with Tampa was bought out in 2013 when he was 33. Lecavalier will remain on the Lightning payroll until he’s 47.

Nor is it in the realm of some buyouts expected in the next few weeks: for instance, Brad Richards, if he’s bought out by the Rangers, will be paid $20 million over the next 12 years — and that comes after earning $30 million, including bonuses, in three years’ service with the team.

“The more I’m on this side of it (player agent), the more I see the business side of it,” said Tucker, who is preparing for the upcoming NHL entry draft as part of Turning Point Sports Management.

“There’s players putting the product on the ice and management and ownership have a job to do to move the club forward. I don’t look at it any other way. . . . Cliff made an educated decision at the time (he was bought out), and it worked out quite decent for me and my family.”

Tucker answers the call at several Leafs alumni functions throughout the year and visits rinks across Canada and the U.S., to keep an eye on player clients. But whenever he’s at a rink, he is often so inundated with autograph requests that he barely has time to keep an eye on the hockey.

“I’m happy to do the Leafs alumni events,” Tucker said.

“When I played, I left everything I had out on the ice. A lot of sweat and tears and I have nothing but fond memories. . . . What some people fail to understand is these things (buyouts) aren’t intended to cut the player off. They are things that happen and it helps teams get going in different directions. Like I said, I have fond memories of my time in Toronto. . . . If I have one regret it’s that we weren’t able to reach the goal we all had and win the Stanley Cup.”

Tucker, like recent Leaf buyouts Mikhail Grabovski and Mike Komisarek, moved on to another team while still receiving money from the Leafs. Tucker went to Colorado for two final seasons and, along with Adam Foote, helped mentor rookies like Matt Duchesne and Ryan O’Reilly into the players they are today.

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When he retired in 2010, Tucker teamed with longtime agent Carlos Sosa to form Turning Point, with Tucker doing groundwork, visiting players, advising on playing options and development. Now, three years after Turning Point was formed, Tucker and Sosa await this year’s NHL draft where clients Hunter Smith (Oshawa Generals) and Kyle Wood (North Bay Battalion), are eyeing high-round selections.

“We’re thrilled where we’re at,” Tucker said.

“You put the time and homework in with your first recruits and now it’s their first NHL draft. It’s a lot of work and the players have put themselves in the position to be drafted, and that’s the benefits of all the development time.”