Report: Leafs close to deal with Sundin

[Zeta Power 40 1]

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=209448&hubname=nhl

[rage 24]

That's a lot of money. $6.33 in cap space.

[T-Ruff 47]

That's a lot of money. $6.33 in cap space.

Nay.....6.33 would be the cap space taken up if the Leafs were to pick up their team option. This is a new deal 2 years, $11 million.... the cap hit would be 5.5.....

[spydrwebb 0]

Nay.....6.33 would be the cap space taken up if the Leafs were to pick up their team option. This is a new deal 2 years, $11 million.... the cap hit would be 5.5.....

even so... that's one significant investment.

[Guest bullocks]

Leafs should have traded him at the deadline and re-signed him. But they don't have the balls to do that kind of thing.. Kudos to Mr. Lowe and the Oilers for trading Smyth.

[Heaton 1]

Leafs should have traded him at the deadline and re-signed him. But they don't have the balls to do that kind of thing.. Kudos to Mr. Lowe and the Oilers for trading Smyth.

Heh, I guess. Smyth isn't re-signing in Edmonton, though.

[Yzermaniac192005 0]

Heh, I guess. Smyth isn't re-signing in Edmonton, though.

Yeah it doesn't look like it but if he does then Lowe looks like a genius.

[StaticWithABeat 0]

Too bad the Leafs are a poorly-run disaster of an organization with no prospects and no future. If he signs this deal it's just going to be two more years of not making the playoffs and having no decent linemates to play with.

If I were him I'd seriously consider signing elsewhere...he's not going to accomplish anything by staying in Toronto.

[timsummers 0]

That's a lot of money. $6.33 in cap space.

its 5.5, but even 6.3 isnt unreasonable for sundin.

[Kp-Wings 3]

JFJ is such a moron.

[Guest bullocks]

Heh, I guess. Smyth isn't re-signing in Edmonton, though.

that's why it's even better that edmonton traded him because he's not going to go back. the leafs and sundin are totally different tho, thats the only place he wants to play. the leafs knew that, but they wouldnt have the guts to do something like that.

Too bad the Leafs are a poorly-run disaster of an organization with no prospects and no future. If he signs this deal it's just going to be two more years of not making the playoffs and having no decent linemates to play with.

If I were him I'd seriously consider signing elsewhere...he's not going to accomplish anything by staying in Toronto.

they have prospects, i'm not too sure what your talking about.

JFJ is such a moron.

MLSE is a disaster. Not just JFJ.

[Kp-Wings 3]

MLSE is a disaster. Not just JFJ.

MLSE has been a disaster for years now. Yet, when Pat Quinn was GM, the Leafs were at least contending for a playoff spot. They can't even do that anymore.

[Guest bullocks]

MLSE has been a disaster for years now. Yet, when Pat Quinn was GM, the Leafs were at least contending for a playoff spot. They can't even do that anymore.

Cuz they have 3 high paid defense men. In the new NHL you sign 2 high priced D, and 2 high priced forwards and work around them. They should have never re-signed McCabe.

[SweWings 45]

Sundin has never been the problem in Toronto. Great player with an amazing attitude. When playing with decent players for Swedish squads he's been great. The problem in Toronto right now is 3 high-paid defensemen: Only Kaberle deserves it really, McCabe does not and Kubina? what the hell...

[Guest bullocks]

Sundin has never been the problem in Toronto. Great player with an amazing attitude. When playing with decent players for Swedish squads he's been great. The problem in Toronto right now is 3 high-paid defensemen: Only Kaberle deserves it really, McCabe does not and Kubina? what the hell...

Kubina deserves it more then McCabe. Sure he was over-payed last year, but looking what D will be gettting this off-season he really isn't. Biggest mistake re-signing McCabe.

[MacK_Attack 108]

Too bad the Leafs are a poorly-run disaster of an organization with no prospects and no future. If he signs this deal it's just going to be two more years of not making the playoffs and having no decent linemates to play with.

If I were him I'd seriously consider signing elsewhere...he's not going to accomplish anything by staying in Toronto.

The prospects thing is changing. They have some good kids coming up in a few years like Jiri Tlusty and Nikolai Kulemin. They've also made some late-round steals in the last few years, nabbing guys like Kyle Wellwood, Justin Pogge and Ian White later on in drafts. There's a kid that could crack the lineup next season named Anton Stralman. Watch for him. They still have a few years to go before being anything resembling a good hockey team.

Leafs should have traded him at the deadline and re-signed him. But they don't have the balls to do that kind of thing.. Kudos to Mr. Lowe and the Oilers for trading Smyth.

Mats Sundin had a no-trade clause that he had no intention of waiving. He'll probably get another one.

Sundin is still a 80 pts + per season player, but you're right that he hasn't had any quality wingers...He should take a discount; lets say his salary should be around $4 to $4.5 mill per year so Leafs GM Ferguson Jr could go out & sign a few UFA's, & maybe get an outside chance @ winning it all.

They have some cap space to get in the running for one of the elite wingers, but I doubt that Fergie would land one. He has a tendancy of missing out on big free agents.

MLSE has been a disaster for years now. Yet, when Pat Quinn was GM, the Leafs were at least contending for a playoff spot. They can't even do that anymore.

They were always around 100 point teams when Quinn ran the ship. He bought whomever they needed to cover up shortfalls in trades and drafting. Can't do it anymore. Quinn missed the playoffs once in 7 years and he got fired. Fergie has missed the playoffs two out of three years and he still has a job. Confusing.

Sundin has never been the problem in Toronto. Great player with an amazing attitude. When playing with decent players for Swedish squads he's been great. The problem in Toronto right now is 3 high-paid defensemen: Only Kaberle deserves it really, McCabe does not and Kubina? what the hell...

Here's my theory on the McCabe signing.....

Bryan McCabe had zero intention of re-signing with the Leafs. He wanted to sign with the Islanders or Rangers. However, he had to at least save some face and make it look like he wanted to return to the Leafs by opening up contract negotiations before July 1. McCabe intentionally put his demands at a sky-high level to chase off the Leafs.

He asked for a huge term.....Fergie said 'yes'

He asked for a huge salary.....Fergie said 'yes'

He asked for the dreaded 'no movement clause'......Fergie said 'yes'

McCabe suddenly realizes that he has a deal infinitely better than any deal he could get on the open market, and he reluctantly accepts the deal with the Leafs. Fergie didn't have the job security or have public opinion on his side, and he caved against making an unpopular move.

As for Kubina, my theory is that Fergie went hard after Zdeno Chara (offering $7 million+) and when he didn't get him, he threw that money at the two guys that were left (Kubina & Gill). Fergie's really bad for having poor reactionary moves.

Edited June 1, 2007 by MacK_Attack

[Guest bullocks]

^ Mats Sundin would have waived his no-trade to goto a contender at the deadline and return back to the Leafs. The problem was they thought they'd still make the playoffs.

[MacK_Attack 108]

^ Mats Sundin would have waived his no-trade to goto a contender at the deadline and return back to the Leafs. The problem was they thought they'd still make the playoffs.

He's stated a number of times that he doesn't want to be a rental player. He said that if he's going to win a Cup, it's going to be with a team that he's been with since the start of the season. He will not accept a mid-season trade.

[StaticWithABeat 0]

The prospects thing is changing. They have some good kids coming up in a few years like Jiri Tlusty and Nikolai Kulemin. They've also made some late-round steals in the last few years, nabbing guys like Kyle Wellwood, Justin Pogge and Ian White later on in drafts. There's a kid that could crack the lineup next season named Anton Stralman. Watch for him. They still have a few years to go before being anything resembling a good hockey team.

I don't know anything about Kulemin but outside of Tlusty (who is good but they say probably won't be first-line good), Pogge, Robby Earl, and maybe 1 or 2 others I don't see a lot of promise in the Leafs prospect pool. They're definitely not the worst out there, they've done enough to keep themselves somewhat afloat despite their largely unsuccessful present-over-the-future strategy of the past 15 years. Wellwood/Steen/Stajan/White/Colaiacovo are all good players, but not good enough to avoid the Dark Age that will follow Sundin's departure.

I think the team needs to be burnt to the ground and rebuilt, but there's too much pressure to field a winning team in Toronto for that to happen. Sundin is an awesome player and I'd hate to see him piss away his twilight years playing for an organization that has failed to build a respectable team around him for over a decade.

[MacK_Attack 108]

They lack the "franchise player" in the system, a player that has the potential to be a star player.

Simple fact, they've never dropped low enough in the draft in the past 7-8 years to get one of those really special players in the draft (or more often than not, they didn't have a 1st rounder), and they will have to do it (or will be forced to do it) once Mats Sundin leaves, presumably in two years.

It's about time they started from the ground up, but it won't happen with Fergie in charge.

Edited June 2, 2007 by MacK_Attack

[Guest bullocks]

He's stated a number of times that he doesn't want to be a rental player. He said that if he's going to win a Cup, it's going to be with a team that he's been with since the start of the season. He will not accept a mid-season trade.

every time they asked him he wouldnt answer cuz he said he wanted to win a cup and they were going to make the playoffs. but if u think he wouldnt be a rental playoffs so the leafs could get somehting good for him then re-sign him anyways, while having a chance to win the cup then ur mistaken.

[Guest jaytan]

That's a shame. I was hoping the rumors about him going back to play in Sweden were true.

[canadienhater 0]

That's a shame. I was hoping the rumors about him going back to play in Sweden were true.

sundin is the most overrated player in the league

[MacK_Attack 108]

every time they asked him he wouldnt answer cuz he said he wanted to win a cup and they were going to make the playoffs. but if u think he wouldnt be a rental playoffs so the leafs could get somehting good for him then re-sign him anyways, while having a chance to win the cup then ur mistaken.

After the deadline, Sundin came out and said that he was never interested in being a rental player and that it isn't something he's interested in doing.

I never said that they wouldn't get something good for him and then re-sign him, I merely said that he has said that he won't be a rental player.

sundin is the most overrated player in the league

Yeah, you're right.....he totally mooches off of his all-star linemates, he doesn't do anything himself.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

sundin is the most overrated player in the league

Averages 70 points a season , Playing with Antronotalent and Ponikasuckski.

Im sorry , he's underated , not overated. I'd take him on the wings any day.