McKenzie: Sundin likely to sign with VAN or NYR

[MacK_Attack 108]

Unless someone pulls a rabbit out of the hat at the last minute, Mats Sundin will be, by the end of this week, either a Vancouver Canuck or a New York Ranger.

Sources say the plan is for Sundin to make a final decision before NHL rosters are frozen on Friday (Dec. 19).

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=259800&lid...os=topStory_nhl

[hockey&beer 16]

Sounds to me Mats is either a Canuck or not playing this year.

NYR has nowhere near the cap room to even make him an offer worth considering. By my calculations they only have aboot 1.3 left this season. There is plenty of room next season just because they only have 6 players signed.

[miller76 463]

It's too bad the Wings series of regular season games are already completed with the Canucks. Maybe we will see them/him in the playoffs.

With the lack of cap room in NY, and the inability to make a deal to clear room for Sundin, and Vancouver selling the farm for him. Its hard to believe otherwise, that he wouldn't become a Canuck.

[Guest Shoreline]

With the Canucks position, I don't see why they'd spend the extra buck for Sundin, especially with recent news of economic issues. I kinda think, given he's very late to the season, and not because of injury, he should take a similar salary to what Paul Kariya did for the Avs if he's actually seriously committed to a cup winning team.

[VM1138 1,921]

With the Canucks position, I don't see why they'd spend the extra buck for Sundin, especially with recent news of economic issues. I kinda think, given he's very late to the season, and not because of injury, he should take a similar salary to what Paul Kariya did for the Avs if he's actually seriously committed to a cup winning team.

But he's not, or else he'd be close to signing with a team other than the NYR and Vancouver.

[rage 24]

So much for that new "Decision date" of December 15th. I guess the 5th time isn't a charm.

This guy just keeps pulling teams along. I've long lost all respect for him.

[Guest Shoreline]

So much for that new "Decision date" of December 15th. I guess the 5th time isn't a charm.

This guy just keeps pulling teams along. I've long lost all respect for him.

Pretty much.

And VM1138 that's why I'm not terribly concerned with which team he signs onto.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

God I can't wait for this damn soap opera to be over. I don't even care if he ends up in the KHL, just so we don't keep feeding the frenzy.

Signing with the Canucks....what a waste. Like they have any shot of winning the Cup.

[Tane 17]

Thanks for the news...picked him up in my Fantasy hockey!

[AtomicPunk 296]

Ive always had a lot of respect for Mats as a player and the captain of the Leafs.

Since this whole fiasco started, it's really worn on me. It sounds like he is in it for the money, not for a championship, which really smacks of bad taste.

I never really saw him as a "greedy" or "selfish" player, but now I do.

[MacK_Attack 108]

So much for that new "Decision date" of December 15th. I guess the 5th time isn't a charm.

This guy just keeps pulling teams along. I've long lost all respect for him.

He would've signed with the Rangers this weekend if they had the cap space. The reason why he's waiting until the 19th is he's giving the Rangers until the roster freeze to clear the cap space.

Ive always had a lot of respect for Mats as a player and the captain of the Leafs.

Since this whole fiasco started, it's really worn on me. It sounds like he is in it for the money, not for a championship, which really smacks of bad taste.

I never really saw him as a "greedy" or "selfish" player, but now I do.

If he was in it for the money, he wouldn't be waiting until near halfway through the season to sign. That's already cost him a lot of coin.

Edited December 15, 2008 by MacK_Attack

[blikst 1]

Ive always had a lot of respect for Mats as a player and the captain of the Leafs.

Since this whole fiasco started, it's really worn on me. It sounds like he is in it for the money, not for a championship, which really smacks of bad taste.

I never really saw him as a "greedy" or "selfish" player, but now I do.

Really? So if he was in it for the money why didn't he bite off Vancouvers hand when they made him the offer in the first place? He knows he wouldn't get a better deal...

[ComradeWasabi 109]

Picked him up in my fantasy hockey league. Coincidentally, Sean Avery happened to make room for him on my roster. A stroke of good fortune it seems

[awingsincebirth 0]

Doesn't anyone remember all of the "I wanna be with a team straight from training camp" and the "I don't wanna be a rental player" crap he was spewing last year. Don't get me wrong, up until the end of last year I had the utmost of respect for Sundin and his abilities, especially considering the deeply-sown hatred I have for the Leafs. But at this point it has become pretty hard to respect a guy who is, at best, just morbidly indecisive, or at worst, a loser and a bulls***ter.

Sundin isn't going to get the Cup that I believe he wants, but he likely will get a few nice paycheques before his tainted star starts to fade from everyone's memory.

[AtomicPunk 296]

The point is, he hasn't signed with a team because no team could afford him. There was PLENTY of interest at the start of the season. Hell, lots of players have taken less to play for a championship!

So he waited to see if someone could clear cap room to get him in, they couldn't, so he HAS to go play for Vancouver to get the money he wants. If he was looking for a championship, he is looking a little too far west.

Edited December 15, 2008 by AtomicPunk

[MacK_Attack 108]

The point is, he hasn't signed with a team because no team could afford him. There was PLENTY of interest at the start of the season. Hell, lots of players have taken less to play for a championship!

How many players that get offered $8-$10 million take a pay-cut down to $1.2 million? That's what Sundin would have to do in order to fit into the Rangers cap structure. Paul Kariya is the only one I can think of, and he not only did that to try and win a Cup, but because it also gave him UFA status earlier in his career than he would normally under the old CBA.

So let me ask you this...if Sundin had signed with somebody (say, the Canucks for $10 million) over the summer and went there and played half-assed because his heart and/or body wasn't into it, would you criticize him for it?

For whatever reason, Mats couldn't bring himself to play. He's said it takes 45 minutes-to-an-hour of stretching just to get his body loose enough for a practice. I can imagine that kind of preparation has taken its toll on him.

[AtomicPunk 296]

Not trying to pick a fight here, but he should have made up his mind earlier when he was getting these offers! Now he is stuck taking what is left. Teams have signed their players for the year and had to move on without him. The Rangers signed Naslund after they realized they were not going to get Mats.

If his heart isn't in it, or his body just can't withstand the punishment anymore, then he should retire. What bigger sign do you need if you can't get fired up to still get out there and compete? I wouldn't blame him a bit if he just would admit it to himself. He had a great career and is worthy of all the accolades he would get.

Edited December 15, 2008 by AtomicPunk

[YoungGuns1340 1]

The Nucks AND Rangers are nothing special. I don't care if the Rags clear enough space - adding Sundin to that roster doesn't scare me one bit. If he really wanted to put a team over the top, he'd sign with the Sharks or Bs. Particularly the Sharks.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Sundin on the Canucks, I'd put them as my sleeper for that division.

[Grim 5]

Thank goodness he's not going to the Sharks or the Hawks. That wouldve put a huge cramp in the Wing's repeat chances...

If Sundin takes a big paycut to join the Rangers, the Habs will be in a colossal furor.

[mjlegend 155]

Poor Mats, having to take a pay cut to, at worst, $1.2 million for four months work, and to bring himself to do that, he needed a eight months to feel like playing hockey again. Was that Leafs playoff run too much for you, Mats? Poor guy.

Get Jerry Lewis on the phone and let's hold a telethon.

[hckypete96 3]

please got mats just sign anywhere because im soooooooo sick of hearing about you!

ps. id dominate him in poker

[MacK_Attack 108]

ps. id dominate him in poker

I'm not sure you could make the buy-in for the tables that he plays at.

[Slave 31]

don't kill me for this saying this, but i was at floor hockey tonight, and a guy asked me where i thought sundin was going so i said vancouver and he said detroit wasn't out of it yet, and i was like "yeah right we got no money and why would he turn down 10 mil, plus vancouver has a decent enough team this year." and he said his buddy, who was derek meech's billot when he played for the rebels said he was talking to meech a couple days ago and apparently we still have a chance at landing sundin.

Now i do not neccessaril believe this, not sure how we would get the cap room to even offer him a million, BUT this guy is a legit guy (he teaches at a religious school and he hates the wings) so I at least believe that he believes the info he got was legit.

Anyways like i said just passing on what i ehard from pretty much the friend of a friend of a friend, but thought you guys might be interested.

[Elshupacabra 0]

Yeah, they've been saying this since August. At the end of every week he's a Canuck or Ranger. He should throw everybody for a loop and sign with Tampa Bay or someone. Might as well, Neither Vancouver or New York have much of a chance to actually make a legitimate cup run this year and he's pretty much lost the respect of almost every hockey fan at this point. :shrug: