Mats Sundin officially signs with the Vancouver Canucks!

[don_stevo]

Originally Posted by Sonny

LOL! I was going to use the Taylor "Pylon" reference but I didn't think anyone else would get it. I REALLY hope Vigneult takes a good look at the roster and doesn't sit one of our better producing players in favour of Taylor Pyatt.

Agreed, for some reason AV seems to be in love with Pyatt, he gives him chance after chance with little to no results. On a side note, I'm kinda pissed I missed an autograph signing that Pyatt supposedly had at Metrotown a little while ago, I was gonna bring one of those orange road cones for him to sign. I'm sure he'd get the reference.

[mikejuana]

Originally Posted by Sonny

If I was a Toronto fan, I'd be pissed.

People may choose to disagree with me here, but I never really agreed with the notion that a city or franchise 'owes' anything to a player. I keep hearing "Sundin deserves to take his time, Sundin did so much for Toronto and the Leafs" etc. These are pro athletes who (in Sundin's case) get paid millions of dollars a year. The people of Toronto don't owe him anything.

I disagree.

He wanted no trade clause, and he signed contract saying no trade.

They treated him like shit and so did fans. So why the hell does he want to risk playing his last season with the condition he was in if it didn't feel right to him. Plus, if we didn't treat him like shit, he'd most likely be back in blue n white.

Also its not like Sundin was only one Blake, Tucker, Kaberle and McCabe all had same contract and all refused also, no reason to pick on Sundin when he deserved to stay the most.

Sundin is amazing and future hall of famer for sure.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by mikejuana

I disagree.

He wanted no trade clause, and he signed contract saying no trade.

They treated him like shit and so did fans. So why the hell does he want to risk playing his last season with the condition he was in if it didn't feel right to him. Plus, if we didn't treat him like shit, he'd most likely be back in blue n white.

Also its not like Sundin was only one Blake, Tucker, Kaberle and McCabe all had same contract and all refused also, no reason to pick on Sundin when he deserved to stay the most.

Sundin is amazing and future hall of famer for sure.

Well I don't necessarily blame him for not wanting to be traded, it was in his contract and if anything that was just another John Ferguson blunder. My initial comment was meant in a more general sense. I just think that at some point you have to look at it at a professional level, you get paid to do a job, so do it. All other admiration etc. is just gravy.

[nofuneral]

Originally Posted by Sonny

If I was a Toronto fan, I'd be pissed.

People may choose to disagree with me here, but I never really agreed with the notion that a city or franchise 'owes' anything to a player. I keep hearing "Sundin deserves to take his time, Sundin did so much for Toronto and the Leafs" etc. These are pro athletes who (in Sundin's case) get paid millions of dollars a year. The people of Toronto don't owe him anything.

The problem with Mats...
Is that he said two major things last year at the deadline, when he could have waived his NTC, and jump started our rebuild:
1) He wants to retire as a Toronto Maple Leaf
2) He does not believe in the idea of a "rental player" - that a player should be part of the team from the start of training camp

And look where we are today.
What really did it for me though, was that now, even when he's chosen his team... instead of rushing in to get familiarized with his new team and teammates, he's flying back to Sweden for another vacation on the tail end of his several month long one. If he really meant a word he said, he'd be in Vancouver right now practicing and training hard.

I guess I still respect him somewhat... as he was my favorite player for as long as I can remember, and he has done and stuck through a lot for the Leafs over the years... but this whole situation is really, really, shitty. I guess I was wrong, and he is pretty much the exact same as most athletes out there..

Still... congrats Vancouver fans.. seriously (ironically, my second favorite team). You have one hell of a top six now.

Originally Posted by mikejuana

So do I, I hope he gets standing ovation.

Still kinda gay how he didnt just want to be traded last year to help us out more.

Sundin the man and After all he did for Toronto, i could never hate on him.

I was being sarcastic - I actually think it will be split dead even: the cheers and the boos. It'll be interesting to see what goes down.

You're right though, he has done a lot for Toronto, there's no denying that.

And yeah, he could have REALLY, REALLY helped us out... I heard Grabs, Higgins, and a 1st from Montreal, and god knows what else.

[SuperNerd]

Originally Posted by nofuneral

And yeah, he could have REALLY, REALLY helped us out... I heard Grabs, Higgins, and a 1st from Montreal, and god knows what else.

I don't believe this. Whenever the Toronto "fans"(50% who bash on Sundin) talk about how he should have been traded, they speak as if he'd be the most vauled player ever on trade deadline.

Higgins is core player on that team, Grabs is becoming one. No way Leafs get a top player plus a 1st round pick. imo

[MrBlueLightning]

Anyone else of the mindset that the Canucks largely overpaid Sundin? I mean sure there's the intangibles like the leadership which the Canucks could certainly use, but "$10 mill" for a point a game player?

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by MrBlueLightning

Anyone else of the mindset that the Canucks largely overpaid Sundin? I mean sure there's the intangibles like the leadership which the Canucks could certainly use, but "$10 mill" for a point a game player?

Yeah but he's the only free agent available still who can contribute, and he's the type of player we definitely need. It's only for the rest of the year and we still got some cap space left.

If the money is available, I say use it.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd

I don't believe this. Whenever the Toronto "fans"(50% who bash on Sundin) talk about how he should have been traded, they speak as if he'd be the most vauled player ever on trade deadline.

Higgins is core player on that team, Grabs is becoming one. No way Leafs get a top player plus a 1st round pick. imo

There's a rumour around here that Mats had finally had enough of how the Leafs organization was running things, so not waiving his no trade claus was kind of like extending a big middle finger to the org. on his way out.

[Mirko-Filipwnu]

Leafs treated Mats like shit and mats was the Leafs, and they always give this guy shit to work with how the hell is the team gonna build chemistry? Plus he STILL made good with whoever they threw in with him. I agree with everyone when they say mats DESERVES to be on a good team. The Maple Laughs need to get their shit together. I have no clue who all these new leafs are. I can't name one team besides the leafs that doesn't have a star player now. Or Maybe I haven't been paying as much attention to hockey as i used to.

[nofuneral]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd

I don't believe this. Whenever the Toronto "fans"(50% who bash on Sundin) talk about how he should have been traded, they speak as if he'd be the most vauled player ever on trade deadline.

Higgins is core player on that team, Grabs is becoming one. No way Leafs get a top player plus a 1st round pick. imo

As per Bob Mckenzie and TSN.

I don't know if it's true, but I do know that he has more insider knowledge on the hockey world than me. Besides, come trade deadline, every superstars value becomes inflated