The Mats Sundin Saga
Will He Play or will Sundin Retire?
The sweepstakes have begun, but, at this point, there's not even a dead certainty that there will be a winner. The Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Canucks are each believed to be interested in signing current Leafs captain Mats Sundin, but, at 37 years of age, he may not even end up playing another season.
The Maple Leafs' Dilemma
When interim general manager Cliff Fletcher was brought aboard the then-sinking ship last season (okay, still-sinking ship), his mandate was to help rebuild the franchise by stirring up a youth movement. If Fletcher re-signs Sundin, the move could be counterproductive in that Sundin would take away valuable developmental ice time from the Leafs' budding forwards. And there is little point in adding a superstar forward to a team, quote, unquote, hoping to finish dead last to get a high draft pick come next June.
While the argument that Sundin would continue to serve as a mentor to the team's younger players is a good one, it's equally undeniable that Sundin may not even want back in Toronto after the local media made an issue of his not wanting to waive his no-trade clause last Feb. 26. Had Sundin been traded away, he likely would have earned Toronto a quality package of several high-profile prospects and a few draft picks, all of which would have been instrumental in helping to turn around the franchise. When Sundin chose not to leave, it was heavily implied that he was being selfish in wanting to stay, a confusing concept to be sure.
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Bid for Sundin's Services
By now, Vancouver $20-million, two-year offer is old news, but it nonetheless could be the deciding factor in where Sundin plays, over a month after the news first hit media outlets. A signed contract to that effect would make the Swedish star the highest-paid player in the league. But, without Sundin's name on that dotted line, such an offer is essentially just a piece a paper, easily thrown out and discarded. Going this long without an answer has rendered the contract pretty much useless. The offer undoubtedly still stands, but one has to believe if Sundin was going to accept such a hefty salary, he would have already by now.
Cue Vancouver GM Mike Gillis's last-ditch grasp at straws. He apparently tried to get Sundin to come to Vancouver by using the old come-play-for-us-and-you-will-captain-the-reigning-Olympic-champion-hockey-team-in-2010-in-the-same-town-in-which-you'll-play-for-in-the-NHL ploy. If it's been used once, it's been used a thousand times, really... and presumably turned down on every single occasion. In a media interview, Gillis said the allure of captaining the Swedes while playing in the host Olympic city is something that, to the best of his knowledge, was unprecedented. Of course it's unprecedented! Where else would such a desperate GM make such an idiotic selling point?
Does Gillis truly believe such a weak argument will push Sundin over the fence? And, by the odd chance that Sundin is won over by the opportunity to forego a cross-country flight a few years from now and save a few hours of his life, he must be smoking something extraordinarily potent thinking the Canadian fans will be cheering him on and not the red and white during the Games. Fortunately, said weak argument seems not to have swayed the indecisive Sundin.
Pure and simply, in the hockey market, cash talks and stupid, weird and convoluted pitches get thrown by the wayside. And since cash didn't do the trick, Sundin playing Vancouver next year, and into 2010, is a high improbability.
The Main Focus in Montreal
Just prior to this year's draft, Sundin's negotiating rights were traded to the Montreal Canadiens. GM Bob Gainey had a mere handful of days to convince Sundin to join a legitimate contender in the Habs before the July 1 free-agency period was triggered. When Gainey was unsuccessful, his attention turned to signing the team's restricted free agents. With each passing signing (Andrei Kostitsyn, Josh Gorges, Jaroslav Halak, Ryan O'Byrne), the amount of cash available to sign Sundin, and the corresponding chances, dwindled exponentially. This means if Sundin plays for the Habs next year he'll be doing so for around $7 million, really a more accurate depiction of his actual market value. Sundin has never won a Stanley Cup, and while Montreal, in its centennial season, is a longshot compared to the likes of the Detroit Red Wings and maybe Dallas Stars, the Canadiens are likely to repeat as regular season Eastern Conference champions, with the Pittsburgh Penguins having taken a serious hit to their roster this offseason.
Lucky Number 13
For 13 years, Sundin has made his home in Toronto, yet the Maple Leafs brass was quick to try to kick him to the curb. Now, number 13 is synonymous with luck as Sundin is the highest-profile player left in the free agent pool. Some might argue he was number one on every team's list to begin with. With teams liable to jump through hoops to get him in their uniform, the hockey world is all ears and waiting on baited breath for his decision, expected sometime in August.
To quote hockey trade rumor monger Spector (spectorshockey.net): "If it's all about money, he'll sign with Vancouver. If it's about familiarity, he'll return to the Maple Leafs. If it's about playing for a potential Cup contender, he'll sign with Montreal."
And if it's all about him taking a long-overdue rest from the game, there will be no hard feelings. It would be a shame, as the game would be losing one of its premier ambassadors and stars. At this point, Sundin has earned the right to call his own shots, though. It's all about patience, right now. Patience and respect.
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