Sundin to Anaheim? It Makes Sense
Source: By ALAN ADAMS, AOL Sports
Posted: 01/30/08 11:40AM
Filed Under: Columnists
Far be it for me to tell Cliff Fletcher, the interim General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, what to do, especially when it comes to trading Mats Sundin.
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But if Fletcher were to call your correspondent, he would be told that the Maple Leafs should cut the ties with Sundin once and for all.
Say thanks for the yeomen years of service but it is time for Sundin to move on, for his good and for the good of the franchise.
If it were left to me, I would deal Sundin by the Feb. 26 NHL trade deadline, and send him to Anaheim as a matter of fact. Then I wouldn’t bring Sundin back in the fold this summer when the big Swede is an unrestricted free agent.
This is the ONLY course the Leafs should plot regarding Sundin if, as ownership says, it is serious about making things right with the storied Toronto franchise.
Think of it this way: You have to get bad, and bad for a couple of years, before you can get good. And Sundin is the ticket to both destinations.
Fletcher is saddled with five players who have no-movement clauses in their contracts, including Sundin.
But Fletcher and everyone else in the NHL realizes that Sundin would be a hot commodity in the trade-day derby if he were to waive his no-trade clause.
Fletcher has said he will approach Sundin in the not-too-distant future to see whether he'd consider moving on, and Sundin said he would listen.
"We'll listen and see what he has to say. ... I haven't had a chance to talk to him, but I don't have a problem talking to him," Sundin said after the Leafs lost 3-2 to St. Louis on Tuesday, Jan. 29.
Now that Fletcher and Sundin have publicly said there will be dialogue about a change of address, Fletcher should call Anaheim GM Brian Burke to get the ball rolling.
It's no secret that trading Sundin would be akin to throwing in the towel as far as the Leafs making the playoffs, but the upside is worth it if the Leafs are truly serious about rebuilding.
Anaheim definitely has enough assets to make the deal and enough room in their salary structure for the classy Sundin. The package will have to include at least Ducks forward Bobby Ryan, who was the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, along with Edmonton's first pick in the '08 draft that Burke acquired when Dustin Penner fled Anaheim as a restricted free agent.
Sending Sundin to Anaheim would put Toronto in prime position to finish in the bottom rung of the standings, and be part of the NHL Draft Lottery.
Think back to what Philadelphia was able to get from Nashville a year ago for Peter Forsberg – Scott Hartnell, a top prospect in Ryan Parent and a couple of draft picks.
The Flyers bottomed out and missed out on getting the top pick in the '07 draft. But they selected James vanRiemsdyk with the second overall pick. He was the top overall scorer at the 2008 World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic, with five goals and 11 points in six games.
Back to what Fletcher should do.
Toronto was sitting 28th in the standings as this was being written, meaning they were in the running for the top pick in June's annual cattle call of amateur talent.
The consensus top prize in the 2008 draft is Steve Stamkos, who was superb for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship. Stamkos is the No. 1 prospect by the NHL's mid-season report card of draft-eligible players.
Edmonton was 23rd overall and landing the Oilers first-round pick from Anaheim would give the Maple Leafs two of the first seven picks in the draft. In other words, two assets to kick-start the rebuilding process.
That's why trading Sundin is a no-brainer. Keeping him is not really a smart move.
Now fast-forward to next summer and the free agent market.
Forget the sentimentality about bringing Sundin back after he helped the Maple Leafs by agreeing to become a rent-a-player.
Sundin is Toronto's MVP now and he would undoubtedly be the Leafs' MVP again next season. It's hard to say how many points he is worth in the standings but Sundin could be the difference between making the playoffs next season or being a candidate for a second straight year for the top pick in the draft, or a top five pick at the very least.
So why re-sign Sundin, especially when he is in the deep autumn of his career.
By not re-signing him, there is every chance the Leafs will be bad, again. The upside to this is being in position to land teenage sensation John Tavares in the 2009 draft.
Sending Sundin to Detroit or San Jose would not help the Leafs in the rebuilding process because neither team has a top 10 overall pick in the draft this year.
Anaheim does, thanks to Dustin Penner's signing with Edmonton.
Thus trading Sundin to Anaheim and then not re-signing is exactly what should happen. The return is a top prospect in Bobby Ryan, a chance to win the draft lottery in June and having two of the top seven overall picks, then drafting John Tavares next season. That's four top young prospects for a captain whose best years are behind him.
Being bad for a couple of seasons isn't a bad way to approach things. Just look at how Ottawa turned things around, and the same goes for Pittsburgh and Chicago.
As far as the fickle fans in Leaf Nation go, your correspondent actually thinks they would buy into a rebuilding plan if there was a "serious plan" in place.
Sundin is key to that plan. Trading Sundin and not re-signing him depletes the ranks and launches the Leafs into the rebuilding phase.
Trouble is, there is no one in the minors to replace him. But then again, there is no Plan B if he stays and retires a Maple Leaf.
Sundin is the ticket to rebuilding the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the destination has to be Anaheim.
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