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Sundin the Canuck


alexstream

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I think it's more of a courtesy meeting since he has his PokerStars promotion this weekend (I assume in New York...) The rumour from earlier in the week had the Rangers deal Rozsival for Avery and then waiving and permanently outrighting Avery to the AHL's Hartford Wolfpack.

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Probably like most of you the whole Sundin drama became a drawn out, boring soap opera by the end of summer. But now that he's announced he's coming back and seems to have narrowed it down to two teams, I have a feeling that Matts Sundin is not going to be able to live up to the expectations that are going to precede him, wherever he signs.

What he has going aginst him is His age, 38 very soon, his almost 9 months of not playing, and from what we've heard not even working out, adjusting to a new team, and also how far behind he'll be in game-shape compared to everyone else. I've heard a number of reporters say that there were signs that his skills had started to decline last season, as most players his age would. This far down the road, now it's anybody's guess.

So if the Rangers, supposing he signs with them, have to clear out some serious salary and players to make room for Sundin, will it really be worth it? And what will the players feel if some of their friends are moved and Sundin, making big bucks, isn't able to be the player teams are expecting him to be. And will injuries be a factor?

The reason so many teams have been interested in Sundin is because they believe he will score, lead and make their team better the moment he signs. If he had moved at the trade deadline earlier this year and finished last season with a team, reported to that team's training camp in shape, then I think he might have been able to make an impact for another year or so.

But now, after all this time, at his age and not in good shape, I think the odds are against him. The only way this could maybe not hurt a team is if they have cap space and don't have to move anyone of significance out. And there's only a few in that position. Maybe then the only loss would be financial and expectations.

During the summer I was hoping we'd get Sundin. But at this point, if we'd have to move a young guy, or someone of significance, then I don't think it's worth it anymore.

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Does anyone really think this guy has class? He was classless as a Leaf (Captain Whiner Stickwork) and is being utterly classless again. I think people may have mistaken politeness to reporters and a desire to be private as having class. Sundin is a classless gump. Sheesh, remember his stickwork on Markov? Yeah, that's class. :rolleyes:

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Probably like most of you the whole Sundin drama became a drawn out, boring soap opera by the end of summer. But now that he's announced he's coming back and seems to have narrowed it down to two teams, I have a feeling that Matts Sundin is not going to be able to live up to the expectations that are going to precede him, wherever he signs.

What he has going aginst him is His age, 38 very soon, his almost 9 months of not playing, and from what we've heard not even working out, adjusting to a new team, and also how far behind he'll be in game-shape compared to everyone else. I've heard a number of reporters say that there were signs that his skills had started to decline last season, as most players his age would. This far down the road, now it's anybody's guess.

So if the Rangers, supposing he signs with them, have to clear out some serious salary and players to make room for Sundin, will it really be worth it? And what will the players feel if some of their friends are moved and Sundin, making big bucks, isn't able to be the player teams are expecting him to be. And will injuries be a factor?

The reason so many teams have been interested in Sundin is because they believe he will score, lead and make their team better the moment he signs. If he had moved at the trade deadline earlier this year and finished last season with a team, reported to that team's training camp in shape, then I think he might have been able to make an impact for another year or so.

But now, after all this time, at his age and not in good shape, I think the odds are against him. The only way this could maybe not hurt a team is if they have cap space and don't have to move anyone of significance out. And there's only a few in that position. Maybe then the only loss would be financial and expectations.

During the summer I was hoping we'd get Sundin. But at this point, if we'd have to move a young guy, or someone of significance, then I don't think it's worth it anymore.

Some good points here. Certainly it would be wrong to just assume that Mats will step in and light it up, which is what the moronic Rangers no doubt expect to happen, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he pulls a groin muscle or something and ends up limping through the season. On the other hand, he has been a consistent, elite-level performer and doesn't have any chronic injury issues that I know of (unlike, say, Forsberg). The guy is a work-horse and a war-horse, and even if he struggles this season I'd be amazed if he's not a force in the playoffs.

In short, I wouldn't bet against this guy. He's a beast.

But the NHL really needs to do something through the CBA or other means, to prevent this sort of nonsense from happening year after year. There should be some sort of rule whereby if a UFA is not signed by, say, December 1, he can't be signed for that season.

Finally, I just want to express my irritation with the Rangers and the way they feel compelled to go after EVERY single high-profile UFA regardless of whether they have cap room for him, whether he fills a genuine hole in their roster, or really serves any clear purpose. These are the clowns who signed Redden for $6 mil. It's like they're crack addicts, with UFAs being the crack.

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It's like they're crack addicts, with UFAs being the crack.

Well crack is relatively cheap, so I'd sooner call them coke addicts. Good analogy though. ^_^

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It remains that Mats Sundin in Vancouver could turn the team into a contender, especially if he signs in the immediate future to give Vigneault enough time get the team playing like a well oiled machine. The lineup would look a little bit like this:

Sedin-Sedin-Hansen

Wellwood-Sundin-Demitra

Burrows-Kesler-Bernier

Ohlund-Elder

Bieska-Mitchell

Salo-O'Brien

Luongo

Basically the Canucks would have 2 great scoring lines with the Sedins and the Sundin/Demitra duo, one great checking line that can also score goals, a very strong and proven defensive squad, and perhaps the best goalie in the game in Luongo. With the many Swedes on the team, the big contract offer, the Olympics thing (whatever), ad the fact that the team should be very competitive, it seems like a perfect fit.

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It remains that Mats Sundin in Vancouver could turn the team into a contender, especially if he signs in the immediate future to give Vigneault enough time get the team playing like a well oiled machine. The lineup would look a little bit like this:

Sedin-Sedin-Hansen

Wellwood-Sundin-Demitra

Burrows-Kesler-Bernier

Ohlund-Elder

Bieska-Mitchell

Salo-O'Brien

Luongo

Basically the Canucks would have 2 great scoring lines with the Sedins and the Sundin/Demitra duo, one great checking line that can also score goals, a very strong and proven defensive squad, and perhaps the best goalie in the game in Luongo. With the many Swedes on the team, the big contract offer, the Olympics thing (whatever), ad the fact that the team should be very competitive, it seems like a perfect fit.

Hansen's a joke on the first line but other than that, I tend to agree. The trouble is that it's Vancouver...a franchise that is impossible to take seriously as contenders. No offence. ^_^

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Sundin is for the playoffs, not getting to the playoffs. I would still take him on the habs as I think he would bring a lot of skill and tenacity to our top two lines. Pleks is not going to turn around and even if he did, he folds in the playoffs. We need a guy like Sundin, and a decent defenseman on the point.

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Sundin is for the playoffs, not getting to the playoffs. I would still take him on the habs as I think he would bring a lot of skill and tenacity to our top two lines. Pleks is not going to turn around and even if he did, he folds in the playoffs. We need a guy like Sundin, and a decent defenseman on the point.

I'd want Sundin too, but that is simply a ridiculous thing to say about Plekanec. The guy has 18 career NHL playoff games - he doesn't always do anything in the playoffs. One can simply not draw that kind of conclusion about a guy with that small a sample size. By the way, the guy has 13 points in those 18 games and he had 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) in 12 games last year. That isn't amazing, but it is at least as much production as in the regular season.

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Apparently the rumour has it that Sundin is waiting for the Rangers to make available the cap room to offer him $6M. "I want to play for a Cup contender.... as long as they pay me a crapload."

Ahhh, the class of it all.

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It seems pretty obvious that Mats Sundin wants to play for the Rangers... maybe that's what he wanted all along... but the problem is that they just don't have the available cap room. It's all about Michal Rozsival and his 5 millions, the others are either key players, or have low, relatively insignificant salaries.

I don't see how this is a lack of class, Sundin has earned the right to free agency by wasting several years in a poorly managed Toronto organization, and doesn't want to be stuck for 2-3 more years where he won't be happy because he doesn't need it, and is past the point of his career where it's all about making sacrifices.

If things don't work out with the Ranegrs, retirement would probably become a very strong possibility.

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It seems pretty obvious that Mats Sundin wants to play for the Rangers... maybe that's what he wanted all along... but the problem is that they just don't have the available cap room. It's all about Michal Rozsival and his 5 millions, the others are either key players, or have low, relatively insignificant salaries.

I don't see how this is a lack of class, Sundin has earned the right to free agency by wasting several years in a poorly managed Toronto organization, and doesn't want to be stuck for 2-3 more years where he won't be happy because he doesn't need it, and is past the point of his career where it's all about making sacrifices.

If things don't work out with the Ranegrs, retirement would probably become a very strong possibility.

If things don't work out with the Rangers, I wouldn't blame him if he offered to play for the Sharks or Wings for league minimum. After the number of years he toiled in Toronto, aka Hockey Hell, he's earned the right to do whatever it takes to go out a winner. I didn't think any less of Ray Bourque when he did it.

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If things don't work out with the Rangers, I wouldn't blame him if he offered to play for the Sharks or Wings for league minimum. After the number of years he toiled in Toronto, aka Hockey Hell, he's earned the right to do whatever it takes to go out a winner. I didn't think any less of Ray Bourque when he did it.

Why would he offer to play for the league minimum with them and not the Rags?

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Why would he offer to play for the league minimum with them and not the Rags?

First, last I heard he hasn't signed for the league minimum, nor is he he rumored to be. Second Vancouver is not New York, it's one thing to accept less money to play in such a great city like New York, but unless Sundin is looking for ski resorts (if he's even allowed to ski) or to play in episodes of Supernatural, Vancouver cannot compete with the fine dining, theatre, and culture Sundin said he's looking for.

EDIT: sorry, I though you were talking about NY vs Vancouver...

Edited by CerebusClone
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