Earlier today, two separate Swedish newspapers reported that Mats Sundin has signed with the Vancouver Canucks. Then, TSN reports that the Canucks camp and Sundin have both denied those reports.
The fact that the Swedish newspapers reported this, probably means that Sundin is close to reaching an agreement with the canucks.
There are many people out there that think Sundin will return to the familiar setting of the Toronto Maple Leafs. But with 1.5 million of salary dedicated to buyouts, and 15 million dedicated to overpaying McCabe, Blake and Kubina, it is unlikely Toronto can make an offer in the vicinity that Vancouver has made.
Montreal has about 7.5 million in cap space, but they still have a few more players to sign. Signing Sundin would mean mixing up the core of the team. The Habs right now look like potential cup contendors after last seasons performance with many young players. They probably won't mix up the core.
The fact of the matter remains, that Sundin did not want to be a rental player at last trade deadline. He refused to wave his no trade clause, and stuck it out with the struggling maple leafs team. Now he has entered free agency, and he will probably take the best contract he can get... unless he just retires.
But the canucks have offered an extremely insane contract, just to make Sundin look insane if he retires, and Toronto to look insane if they try to fit it under their miniscule amount of cap space.
By Sundin not announcing his decision yet, has only been a ploy to make the Toronto media go easy on him. If he took the contract right away, the Maple Leaf Franchises top point getter, would be seen as a money grubber. This July long ploy has helped Sundin keep a bit of dignity. But because he's not retiring in Toronto, he might not be remembered as the best Leaf of all time... like he deserves.
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