It’s hard to imagine this phenomenon of a player has any competition for the number 1 spot in this year’s draft, but alas, he does. Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman is making headway to the top of the 09 draft. Often mentioned in the same breath as fellow country man and six-time Norris trophy winner Niklas Lidstrom, Hedman has quickly drawn favorable comparisons to the Anaheim Ducks’ Chris Pronger. Certainly, there will be doubters, especially with the recent trend of over hyped prospects emerging out of Europe. Including but not limited to: classic late-bloomer Fabian Brunnstrom, who has yet to step foot on NHL ice, but is already drawing comparisons to Henrik Zetterberg and Daniel Alfredsson, which mind you is very possible, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Lest we forget glorified Toronto Maple Leaf defenseman Anton Stralman, who by many accounts from over-zealous Maple Leaf followers is considered to be the next Bobby Orr. However, while these players receive warranted attention, this particular 6’6, 220lbs defenseman is considered the complete player. He skates like the wind and plays a risky, bordering on dirty game, and completes that with sublime offensive skills. Last year at the age of 17, he was playing full-time for MoDo in Sweden’s Elite League (SEL). A paucity in a league deemed to be not that far removed from the caliber of the NHL. This upcoming season, he will be expected to be a staple on the parent squad. He has franchise defenseman written all over him and has proved time and time again, whether it be in the SEL or a circuit in the World Juniors, that he can play with the best of them.

Of course, there are a select few others that may take the ranks of the #1 spot this fall. 2006 1^st overall selection of the Spokane Chiefs; Jared Cowen is turning heads in the WHL, and is widely considered to be a lock in the top 5. Another standout comes from the WHL, his name is Brayden Schenn. Sibling to Toronto Maple Leaf’s first round selection Luke Schenn. Unlike his brother, he plays forward. In his inaugural season, he amassed 28 goals and 43 assists, for 71 points in 66 games. By all accounts, he is expected to improve on those numbers with aplomb. Rounding out the top 5 is Swedish prospect; Magnus Svensson-Pääjärvi. A name I still have trouble trying to pronounce, this slick Swede is being mentioned in the same breath as Ilya Kovalchuck. While these players have an amazing amount of skill, scouts across the globe believe that the number 1 pick belongs to one of John Tavares or Victor Hedman. This upcoming season will be the mitigating factor in which we see these potential franchise players end up.

Personally, I believe that these two players have an inordinate amount of talent. They are both masters at their craft and equally skilled in their own regard. That is why I imagine that when D-day arrives, it will be a choice of position rather than skill. For years, the philosophy amongst NHL GM’s is that they will always take the best player available. While that statement still rings true, I believe that these two franchise players are equal in talent and will ultimately be up to the specific teams needs. For the purpose of simplicity, let’s analyze only the projected bottom five teams of this years’ NHL season. The Atlanta Thrashers, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings & St. Louis Blues all have a legitimate shot and receiving the 1^st overall pick this June. With Ilya Kovalchuk’s contract coming to a completion at the conclusion of the 09-10 season, the Atlanta Thrashers will be desperate for offence. Furthermore, with the inclusion of recently drafted Zach Bogosian, they already have a potential franchise defenseman. Could the addition of John Tavares entice Kovalchuck to stay? Next is the New York Islanders. Seemingly devoid of any top-line talent at forward or defense, they could go either way. A duo of John Tavares and Kyle Okposo could be very intriguing. However, they are severely lacking in defensive prospects as well. The Toronto Maple Leafs recent drafting of Luke Schenn pretty much eliminates them from choosing Hedman, as they are desperate for a scoring forward. What better way to replace long-time captain Mats Sundin with home-grown native John Tavares, something that will certainly please Leaf nation. The Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues are two teams that are stock-piled with defensive prospects. While the former has Drew Doughty, Thomas Hickey and Jack Johnson, the latter has Eric Johnson, Alex Pietrangelo and Steve Wagner. These two teams would almost certainly jump at the opportunity to bolster their lineup with some much needed offence. At first glance, it almost seems that the glaring need for these five bottom-feeding teams is offence, in which John Tavares certainly fits the bill. But, in what may become one of the biggest debates throughout the NHL’s 08-09 season, it really comes down to choice. Who would you pick?

Now some of you may say; the last four years have been horrendous for Leaf fans.   They have had to endure a half-decade long playoff drought; so, the Leafs must make the playoffs.  Others would say; rebuilding a team is a process, this method takes time.  This recent trend of black and white thinking has become an eternal struggle, it is an argument I have had with many followers of the Maple Leafs.  Though I do not have a dogmatic, narrow-minded view of the current Maple Leaf situation, I am inclined to agree with the latter.  Simply because while the Maple Leafs do have a myriad of future assets including but not limited to; Jiri Tlusty, Nikolai Kulemin, Justin Pogge and the newly-acquired Mikhail Grabovski, to name a few. None of these potential stars really stands out to attain the status of super-star.  Now that they have finally obtained one of these superstars in Luke Schenn, it is time to acquire someone equally as high in status and talent to launch the Maple Leafs into triumph.

Take a second to look around the league, while the most extreme example being the Pittsburgh Penguins (Crosby, Malkin, Fleury) there are many others around the league who have had high draft picks over the last few years and will surely be successful in the near future.  Perhaps the most talked about turn-around in hockey, the Chicago Blackhawks, have a dynamic duo in Jonathan Toews (3^rd overall in 06) and Patrick Kane (1^st overall in 08) to go along with their abundance of other career NHLers such as Cam Barker, Dave Bolland and Jack Skille.  The Los Angeles Kings who have been quietly stock-piling future talent for years, made there biggest splash this year with 2^nd overall pick Drew Doughty to accompany future stalwart Jack Johnson (3^rd overall in 05).  Another standout of course is Wayne Gretzky’s new and improved Phoenix Coyotes who acquired Danish prospect Mikkel Boedker (8^th overall in 08) to complement Kyle Turris (3^rd overall in 07) and Peter Mueller (8^th overall in 06). FYI: I firmly believe these aforementioned teams will be a top the NHL standings in no later than two years.

These are just mere examples of what the Leafs are now facing. But one thing is abundantly obvious; most dominant teams are built on at least two or three standout prospects.   It has been 41 years since the great city of Toronto has seen the Leafs hoist the Stanley Cup.  Is it really too much to ask to endure one more season of failure?  Personally, I do not wish for a top 10 pick, I believe it’s imperative to obtain a top 3 pick.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have the choice between mega-prospects John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Luke Schenn’s brother; Brayden, among others. The Maple Leafs have been mired in mediocrity for so many years, it has certainly become an exercise in futility.  Many Leaf followers wish for the return of Mats Sundin and for some strange reason, Maple Leaf brass is seemingly leaving the door open for his return.  The team Cliff Fletcher has fielded for the 08-09 season has hockey pundits everywhere saying that not only is this team not good enough to make the playoffs, they will be lucky to escape with the 13^th spot in the Eastern Conference.  It is almost set in stone that the Leafs are a shoe-in for another playoff mishap for the fifth consecutive year. With presumably the only bottom-feeders below them being the Garth Snow inflicted; New York Islanders and the one-pony show; Atlanta Thrashers.  So if Sundin loyalties get their wish, it is my belief that it may only move them up a mere one, maybe two spots in the standings.  Is that really what we want?  You really have to ask yourselves Leaf-fans, do you want another Nik Antropov in the 09 draft, or someone who can vault this team to Stanley Cup success? So I implore you Leaf fans, as a life-long fan myself, we must lose, really lose, to win.

However, Sundin says that a decision could come later this month.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Sundin said. “I think sometime in August I hope to come to a conclusion on what I’m going to do … if I’m going to play or not this year.”

Word came from Sundin’s agent, J.P Barry, back in late July that Mats would announce his plans by August 1st. Sundin says that was never the case.

“I never had a deadline,” Sundin said. “I know there was talk about the first of August, but …. I said sometime in August hopefully I’ll be able to make a decision. I won’t make that until I really feel comfortable with making a good decision.”

Reports are that there are as many as six teams interested in signing Sundin, but the former Maple Leafs captain says his priority is deciding whether he wants to continue his hockey career and not which team to suit up for next season.

“I haven’t even worried about any teams,” Sundin told Sportsnet. ” I’m just trying to bring my mind to a point where I can make a good decision whether or not I’m going to play hockey right now. That’s my first decision and we’ll go from there after that.”

Still, a return to Toronto has not been ruled out by the Swedish forward.

TSN reports are that the Maple Leafs will send McCabe to Florida along with another player, with at least one player coming back from the Panthers. Not Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, though. Sportsnet’ Nick Kypreos suggests that the player heading to Toronto is defenseman Mike Van Ryn.

However, McCabe’s agent, Ian Pulver, says that his client hasn’t made a decision on his future yet and the two sides continue to talk about a compromise.

“We continue to talk to the Leafs about whether he is going to remain a Leaf or move to another team. Technically he won’t waive the no-trade until there is a trade and there hasn’t been a trade.”

Pulver notes that McCabe may in fact stay in Toronto.

“Having said that, he may remain a Leaf. There’s a lot of things to discuss.”

Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher appears to support Pulver’s stance, saying that a deal is not imminent.

“(McCabe) hasn’t even said he would accept being traded yet. We’re working on it.”

It’s expected that if the Maple Leafs were to move McCabe, they would do it after September 1st, the day he is to receive a $2 million signing bonus.

McCabe is set to earn $6.15 million (including the $2 million dollar signing bonus) this season, and $4.15 million for the next two seasons remaining on his contract. His salary cap hit will remain at $5.75 million.

Jay Feaster had been the club’s GM since 2002 and he was an assistant GM since 1998. This guy turned the Lightning into a cup winner (something no one would have imagined), he brought Martin St. Louis, Dan Boyle and Nikolai Khabibulin.

Although it seems he lost his golden touch after the lockout as the Lightning never returned to its cup winning ways.

In my opinion he did some questionable signings in his last days in the Lightning, but still he could be a good Gm for another team that finds itself with an interim GM (aka Toronto Maple Leafs)

Anyways the Lightning must find a new GM, I wonder who will that be?

Grabovski definitly had enough talent to stay in the NHL, but one thing he didn’t have yet to deserve a spot on the Canadiens’ roster is maturity. Grabovski, unfortunately, is the kind of player that thinks to much of himself and believe me, when you do not show up at the practice simply because you are not playing the next game, that is not only unprofessional, but very immature. It is a good thing he is no longer in the Habs’ plans and that Montreal head coach Guy Carbonneau won’t have to put up with his bull**** anymore.

I’m just surprised Toronto is so desperate.

Will he accept it? Will he retire? Will he sign with other team? Only time will tell. Sundin is yet to make up his mind on his playing future. However, he has stated on numerous occasions that he would prefer to sign a one-year deal.

Sundin recorded 32 goals and 42 assists for 78 points in 74 regular season games with the Maple Leafs.

To be honest with you I consider Ryan Malone a good forward, while he may not enter in the elite category of the NHL he can still raise some eyebrows.

But don’t you think 7 million dollars a season is just too much for a guy that has not yet produced over 70 points?

In my opinion I believe Tampa bay will either sink or swim during the next season.

Either way it should be fun for everyone to see Steven Stamkos play along with Vinny Lecavalier, Ryan Malone, Dan Boyle and Martin St. Louis.

Cliff Fletcher–GM of the Leafs–had this to comment,

“We have given the Montreal Canadiens permission to speak with Mats Sundin. We have no further comments at this time”.

With the Vancouver Canucks waiving their number 10 pick around, coupled with the fact that they most likely won’t resign forward Brendan Morrison and the possibility that Markus Naslund will resign cheaper, the ‘Nucks will try something.

It is still unclear at this point if the Toronto Maple Leafs will resign Mats Sundin. What is clear however is that they are waiving their number 7 pick around and have been linked with Patrick Marleau, Olli Jokinen, and Vincent Lecavalier to name a few.

The Montreal Canadiens have also been rumoured to try and move up in the draft to make a deal go through. Andrei Kostitsyn should be signed by the draft. Marc Streit could be also although rumours suggest that he would be traded. The Habs are also being linked to Marian Hossa, Sundin, Eric Cole, Ryan Malone, and Lecavalier to name a few. In Hossa’s case the Habs are trying to trade for his rights.

The Carolina Hurricanes are rumoured to be in on Joni Pitkanen.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are rumoured to be in on Marleau as well as Malone.

The Calgary Flames are rumoured to be hunting Jokinen.

The Boston Bruins are hunting Hossa.

To be brief, just mentioning seven teams and one could see that the draft this year might live up to the hype that every media source is putting out there.

Perhaps the draft will be more exciting than the first week of July.

Let’s hope that this year’s draft will be one not to miss.

The entry draft is for minor league players to move up in life, unfortunately for the minor leaguers, fortunately for the fans, this year it should be more about NHL players changing addresses.

There are 30 teams in the NHL. Perhaps not all the teams will make something happen, but if one believes the hype, it should be a draft day frenzy.

Sportsnet  is reporting that former San Jose Sharks head coach Ron Wilson was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs officially today. This after weeks of speculation. Wilson had this to say about his new endeavour,

“This is an unbelievable day for me. The last couple of weeks have been very exciting.”

Wilson also went on to say,

“I view the Leafs as a team in transition. It’s going to require a lot of work, and a lot of attention to detail.”

Wilson continued by adding,

“As a coach, you just want to put yourself in a position to knock on the door. And if we can be knocking on the door in two years, I think that will be a tremendous accomplishment. Then we’ve just got to knock the door down.”

Ron WIlson is a good coach. The Leafs have a person who could potentially turn the play of the team around. Unfortunately some people are crying tampering.

With the rumours still around that the Leafs are waiting for Brian Burke of the Anaheim Ducks to be their next General Manager, the hiring of one of Burke’s friends is sending flags up everywhere. Sure the Leafs can argue that they hired who they thought was the best candidate for them and leave it at that. If Burke somehow becomes the Leafs next GM however, there will be many people who will question the decision on WIlson.

For now congratulations to the Leafs. Wilson should put them in the right direction.

RDS is reporting that the L.A. Kings have fired coach Marc Crawford. Crawford still had one year left on his contract.

When questioned about his decision, Kings Gm Dean Lombardi had this to say,

“We appreciate what Marc has done here for the past two years. We believe however that a coaching change was the right decision to make.”

Too bad. The Kings young talent like Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Patrick O’Sullivan where starting to play well. Something to take note of however, the Kings have no starting goalie. Is that Crawford’s fault?

The Kings will be good in a couple of years. They also have the number two draft pick and should be able to pick someone of good abilities.

One could make a strong argument that this player is one of the best at his position ever in the NHL. WIth his five James Norris Memorial trophies, one Conn Smythe, having appeared in nine All-Star games, having been voted to the NHL All Rookie team and the Olympic tournament All-Star team and just recently winning his fourth Stanley cup Nicklas Lidstrom  also made history.

Lidstrom is the captain of the Wings. Having been named captain after Steve Yzerman retired at the beggining of the 2006-07 season, Lidstrom has never looked back. Being that Lidstrom is the captain of the Wings, this means that he will go in the history books as the first European to be the captain of a Stanley Cup winning team.

Before this season, no European was ever captain of a Stanley Cup winning team. No small feat. Yes one could argue that Europeans haven’t been in the NHL since the beginning of the league, but even so, one could look at some teams that boast having a European as their captain and see if they have ever won the cup with them.

The Mats Sundin Toronto Maple Leafs. Sundin is an excellent player and captain on his team, but for whatever reason, the Leafs haven’t won the cup with him at the helm, albeit not the fault of Sundin.

The Saku Koivu Montreal Canadiens. Same could be said for them.

The Markus Naslund Vancouver Canucks. Same.

The Jaromir Jagr New York Rangers. Same.

To name a few, the European captain teams mentioned above have not won the prestigious cup with those captains. Those teams all have had a chance but have not been able to capture the biggest prize in the NHL.

Not that those captains aren’t good players, they are, but for whatever the reason be it lack of talent on the team, no goalie or whatever, they haven’t won it. This is just an overview but the stats remain.

Nicklas Lidstrom has taken a great team and lead them to the promise land. Something that European born players should be proud of. Lidstrom has now opened the door for others to follow. And this should quiet the “No European has ever been the captain of a cup winning team” talk.

Lidstrom will forever be in the history books as the first European born player to have won the Stanley Cup as a captain.

There is no more of a deserving European captain to be the first. With Lidstrom’s impressive resume, he will undoubtedly be in the Hall of Fame. He might even capture one more cup in the process. And he can now add something else to the list of accolades he possesses, European captain winning the cup.

Congratulations to Nicklas. All his hard work and determination as well as his dominating the offensive defense-man position has paid off before, when he won three Stanley Cups, but this one the fourth, will be the crowning achievement of his career.

First off, RDS is reporting that the Montreal Canadiens are under negotiation with Andrei Kostitsyn. Kostitsyn who is slated to become a restricted free agent come July 1, is said to be general manager Bob Gainey’s top priority.

Bob Gainey said this about the RFA,

“We think in Andrei’s case considering the season he just had, that he is the most important RFA that we have to resign.”

When asked about Mark Streit Gainey had this to say,

“Mark brought the team a particular contribution this year. He had many points on the power-play. The question is if we will have enough room in our team salary structure.”

With the Streit statement, one could surmise that the Habs want to keep him but not at any price. Could there be something else going on for the Habs to possibly use their money?
RDS is also reporting that Habs affiliate team the Cincinnati Cyclones have won the Kelly trophy in the ECHL. A team which Bob Gainey has helped to build.

Now for the good stuff.

The Hockey News is reporting that soon to be unrestricted free agent Mats Sundin might not resign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. And that the Detroit Red Wings could be gunning for him. But Sundin is also rumoured to be asking for 2 years at $8 million per year. Montreal and Ottawa are also rumoured to be getting ready to make a pitch to Sundin.

Next we have un-confirmed reports that Saku Koivu could be trying to convince Teemu Selanne to play with the Habs, this being Koivu’s last contract year. Koivu would like his best friend to play at least one year with him before Selanne retires for good.

Another un-confirmed report states that the Canadiens could be interested in soon to be RFA Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators. Although I do believe that Redden still has juice in the tank, is he the answer the Habs need at the blue-line? Redden is a puck mover, and is not physical, considering that when the Sens went to the final last season that the Anaheim Ducks pounded him like there was no tomorrow, I’m not sure that he is the answer. He is still good, depending on the price, and depending on who the Habs will have surrounding him to be the physical presence.

Next there is the fact that Pavol Demitra could be interested in the Vancouver Canucks and the Canadiens. Although this winger might still have a good season or two left in him under optimum conditions, he is not the answer for the Habs. He is good but why take a roster spot away from a youngster, I would rather see Selanne.

Lastly, something I mentioned in another article is that Olaf Kolzig could be in Montreal next season. With the New York Rangers so far being the only other team manifesting interest in him, the Habs could luck out. Kolzig is also part owner of the Tri-City Americans, a team which new number one Habs goalie Carey Price has played for.

Also there is mounting evidence that the Tampa Bay Lightning may be a little worried about Vincent Lecalvalier’s shoulder, and might be willing to trade him. Montreal is rumoured among other names to have thrown in Chris Higgins as part of a possible trade. Wouldn’t that be nice.

TSN is claiming that Wilson is on his way to Toronto to meet with Cliff Fletcher to finalize the contract. Although nothing has been confirmed by Fletcher or Wilson, Fletcher already said that he offered the job to someone ans is waiting for an answer.

If Wilson is to go to Toronto, than they better become a good team next season! Ron is a very coach and is probably the best one the Sharks have ever had in recent years. No coach in Sharks history has ever collected as many wins as Wilson did (206). But Most importantly, no one ever brought the Sharks to more playoffs games than Wilson (52) and I believe that is what makes him a perfect candidate for Toronto. The Leafs fans are not going to accept missing the playoffs next season and if Wilson can’t bring them there, who can?

If the rumor happens to be true, than it should be announced as early as today or tomorrow.

Personally, I hope it’s true, because as much as I don’t like the Maple Leafs, I do want every team in the NHL to be competitive (I think Wilson can do that fro them), therefore giving every hockey fan something good to watch every night.

It’s almost as if Doug Wilson, the Sharks’ GM, is going to have to pick between a season guy and a playoff guy. Thornton does an outstanding job for the Sharks during the season and Marleau does an Ok job compared to what he use to do before. But who would be the perfect one to include in a trade intended to make the Sharks a better team for the future?

Well apparently, among teams interested in acquiring Marleau’s services are The Montreal Canadiens, The Columbus Blue Jackets, The New-York Islanders and the Ottawa Senators. Any team in the Western Conference interested in his services should forget about it right away because Doug Wilson is never going to move Marleau in the same conference as his. Marleau could bring something good to the Sharks, but I wouldn’t trade him.

If I was Doug Wilson and was about to make a trade, I would think of trading Joe Thornton before Marleau. To do so, I’d have to convince Joe to let go of his NTC, but once that’s done with, I believe trading Thornton would bring better players in a bigger trade to San Jose and maybe it would bring Marleau back to his level of play back when Joe wasn’t in SJ. But where would Thornton accept to be traded? Obviously one wouldn’t mind to go where he really wants to go, and in that case, Joe has said it already that the teams he wanted to play for while growing up happen to be The Detroit Red Wings and The Toronto Maple Leafs. I’m sure Joe wouldn’t mind going there, and obviously, any of these two teams wouldn’t mind adding him to their line-up!

Sundin and his agent met with GM Cliff Fletcher last night and the situation today remains as clear as mud. Unfortunately, it looks like this situation is going to drag on for another few weeks until Sundin figures things out.

Am I a little peeved at his request for more time? Absolutely. The Leafs have been off since the second week of bloody April. Mats has had plenty of time to think about his future. Is he entitled to as much time as he needs? Yes, he most certainly is. Does his request for more time mean he’ll hit the free agent market? I don’t know, and I’m fucking done with all these questions I’m answering myself.

Those who read this tiny corner of the interweb, and those who know me well, know that I’m a staunch supporter of Mats Sundin. Always have been. Always will be. Sundin is, as the kids say, my dawg. I support him until the end. He’s made a lasting impression on my soul. While I haven’t been able to convince the woman to name our unborn son “Mats” - she’s, umm, not too fond of the idea - I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to reach a compromise: the middle name. Something Mats Vaswani. I like it already. It just rolls off the tongue.

Anyway, come September Sundin may no longer be a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. After refusing to waive his no-trade clause and leave the city back in March, Sundin left the door open to signing with another team come July 1st, when asked by the media about his immediate future. He said the odds were “50/50″ in returning to Toronto. Sundin is, clearly, a genius. No surprise they’re fifty-fifty! He’s either back, or he’s not. His insight is remarkable.

His comments, of course, set some Leafs fans off. Why? I’m not sure. What they were expecting him to say - 100%? That it as an absolute certainty he’ll be back in the blue and white? Yeah, that would work real well for him in contract negotiations.

Sundin’s comments didn’t irk me. In fact, I thought they made a lot of sense. Seriously, can you blame him for keeping the door open to other options? Are the Leafs really the most attractive team for a 37-year-old aging superstar? I certainly don’t think so. Sundin has, of course, made it publicly known that his dream is to retire a Maple Leaf. It will definitely be interesting to see if he’s a man of his word. I most certainly believe he is.

Do his comments have anything to do with him not waiving his no-trade clause a couple of months ago? No, frankly, they don’t. Sundin refused to waive his no-trade clause because he didn’t want to be a rental player. The two issues are separate. If he signs a contract with, say, the Detroit Red Wings, problem solved. He’s not a rental player, he’ll be with the Wings all year (to go through the “process”), he’ll have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, and he’ll get to do it on his terms. What’s there to be mad about?

It’s my belief, and I’ve made it well known, that Sundin owes the Leafs, and us the fans, nothing. His contract with Toronto expired and as most smart people would do, he’s likely going to hit the open market and see what type of offers come his way. As much as you and I love the Maple Leafs, we’d do the same. He’d be an idiot not to, really. Yes, Sundin’s made a lot of money and lives a lofty lifestyle thanks to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he owes the team nothing. He doesn’t owe them any players in return, or any draft picks in return, or a home team discount on a new contract. Sundin needs only to look after himself, and that’s what I’m sure he’s going to do. How can I be mad at him for that?

Personally, I want him to come back. As if I actually had to tell you that. There’s no better Maple Leaf - ever - and Sundin is the perfect man to drive this bus back to some modicum of respectability.

However, expectations in Toronto are going to be low next season, and probably the season after that. Pretty damn low. Unless Cliff Fletcher, or whoever the next GM of this team is, is able to pull off some David Blaine type stuff, the Leafs are going to stink for a while. It’s the nature of the business. It’s clear the Leafs don’t represent the best opportunity to win for Sundin right now. While I think it’s crazy to think that Sundin doesn’t care about winning, I think that at the end of the day it’ll be hard for him to put another jersey over his shoulders. I tend to believe that Sundin cares about that Leafs logo, just like you and I do, and he’ll come back to lead the next generation of Toronto Maple Leafs. But he’s still got to keep his options open, and really that’s all he’s doing.

Will I be mad at, and/or hate, Sundin if he chooses to continue his career with the hated Montreal Canadiens, or Ottawa Senators, or some other franchise? While those are both nightmarish situations, the Ottawa one more so than Montreal, I don’t think I’d have it in me to hate him. Both those teams offer Sundin a better opportunity right now than we do and I wouldn’t be able to hate Mats for choosing to put himself first. It’s something he never did in Toronto - he’s been the consummate professional - and, well, maybe it’s time he did.

Mats is a leader. He won the Mark Messier leadership award because when the situation was at its worst, Sundin didn’t bail. He didn’t pull the chute. He stuck around. He chose to try and be a part of the solution instead of taking the easy way out and abandoning ship. He is the ultimate Captain. He went down with the ship. That’s leadership, folks, and that’s why I want him to stick around.

I think it is a complete and utter travesty that Sundin is getting ripped on and lambasted simply for keeping his options open. This has nothing to do with the no-trade clause and his refusal to waive it! Sundin’s never mentioned any teams, yet media speculation has tied both the Red Wings and les Canadiens to him already.

It must also be remembered that Sundin never made any demands during his multi-year tenure in Toronto. He never asked for the huge contracts. He never asked for super talent around him. By utilizing his no-trade clause, he used a stipulation in his contract that was negotiated on in good faith by both parties. Sundin never held this organization hostage, so why isn’t he being given the same respect? It saddens me. It truly does.

I think it’s an exercise in futility to rip Sundin about his future and whether to question if he’ll be back. The more important question is how much Sundin is worth. If Sundin does hit the free agency market July 1st, the Leafs will be one of a number of teams to send him an offer. While the idea of trading his rights before July 1st has been thrown around, I just don’t see it happening. Come on guys, this is the Leafs we’re talking about here.

What’s Sundin worth to you? How much should the Leafs be willing to pay him to keep him in Toronto? He made $5.5 million last season and it was one of his best in the past decade. He is what he is, and that’s a point-a-game player on a team with very little offensive talent. It could easily be argued that he’s in line for a raise, but I don’t think that’s fiscally responsible for the Leafs if they want to turn this ship around. The Leafs can’t ice a more competitive team, a fucking playoff team, if they’re paying Sundin upwards of $6 or $7 million dollars. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking for Sundin to give Toronto a home-town discount. Remember, he owes us nothing. What I’m saying is that if he’s not comfortable in coming back for around the same money he made last year, it may in fact then be time to turn the page on the Sundin era. Unless the Leafs can find a way to open up some cap space (see ya, Bryan McCabe!), and unless the team wants to be better and make the playoffs, Sundin can’t be tying up a substantial portion of the salary cap. Like my man Mos Def said, “it’s all mathematics.”

It’s clear that due to the fact that Sundin is off the idea (huge!) of being a rental player, any contract will have to include another no-trade clause. I know, it’s the last thing the Leafs should be handing out, but I think Sundin will refuse to sign anywhere unless he gets one. Here’s what I suggest: Fletch and co. offer Mats a one-year deal, with a no-trade clause, for $5.75 million. Nothing more, nothing less, and leave it on the table come July 1st. If Sundin gets $6 million from the Habs and chooses to take a drive east on the 401, I wish him nothing but the best and thank him for his tremendous service. He will live on in my heart, as a Maple Leaf, forever. No hard feelings.

With the Stanley Cup finals soon to wrap (Wings in 6), the real drama is just getting started. I look forward to a summer of defending Sundin. Anything less would be uncivilized.

And while I can wax philosophical on Mats all day long, and how he’s never, ever wrong, certain happenings always seem to put things in perspective. Rest in peace, Luc Bourdon…

It’s always easy to point at a coach when a team fails as dismally as the Lightning did this season. Hell, they’re only a few years removed from winning the Stanley Cup (2004)! This year, they managed to finish dead last in the NHL. In fact, since the lockout ended (the lockout was the season following their championship), the Lightning have struggled for two playoff berths before their plunge into the league cellar this year.

So, has Tortorella lost the room? What is the reason for a sudden, covert coaching change, assuming it happens?

Tortorella is notorious for being a hard-liner, often in conflict with his players. A few seasons ago, it looked like he may have alienated Vincent Lecavalier, to the point where trade rumours were floated almost daily. The two apparently made peace, but it is possible that Tortorella simply isn’t getting the most out of his players anymore.

But, on the other side of the coin, one has to consider Tampa’s woeful goaltending situation this past season. They started with the tandem of Johan Holmqvist and Marc Denis, who might well be considered a pair of backups on any other team. Neither looked particularly comfortable in the starter’s role, and neither met with much success. It got to the point where prospect Karri Ramo was inserted into 22 games as the go-to guy, also without great results.

A third factor that people point to is the absence of Dan Boyle, who only played 37 games after having wrist surgery. Boyle is viewed as a very solid puck-moving defenceman, and his absence definitely didn’t help the Bolts, but to attribute their failure this season to his absence is a bit of a stretch.

In reality, the Lightning’s awful season was due to a combination of all of the above, and that necessitates change.

Tortorella will have no trouble finding a job, and Barry Melrose can hop back behind the bench of a team that isn’t very good, just like in the old days of his Billy Ray Cyrus mullet.

Now, let’s take a look at who is out there, and who is looking for a coach.

• Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs canned GM John Ferguson Jr. and coach Paul Maurice, and had high hopes of luring in a big name to take charge of both the GM and coaching roles. However, to date they have been rebuked in most of their efforts, save for a multi-day interview with former Canucks’ GM Dave Nonis. In terms of a coach, there hasn’t been much said. Realistically, this could be a great fit for Tortorella, as the Leafs are in desperate need of a whip-cracking coach who will not hesitate to call out players who aren’t pulling their weight.

• Ottawa Senators: The Sens fired John Paddock after the team began a mid-season nose-dive. Many people point the finger to Paddock’s inability to rein in loose cannon goaltender Ray Emery for his firing, but the team overall seemed divided and directionless. More aptly, it was Paddock’s inability to gain the respect of the room that led to his dismissal. So far, it seems that Pat Burns, Pat Quinn and Doug McLean are the top candidates to take over from “interim” coach Bryan Murray. Oh, wouldn’t it be ironic if they ended up with Pat Quinn…

• Colorado Avalanche: They fired agreed to part ways with Joel Quenneville after being ousted from the playoffs in the second round, and have since replaced him with former Avs head coach Tony Granato. This is somewhat odd, since Granato was replaced by Quenneville at the end of 2004. Granato holds a solid 72-33-17-11 record in his previous stint with the Avs, and is a good replacement for Quenneville, who just never caught on in the Mile High State.

• Vancouver Canucks: Tired of not making the playoffs? Fire your ASSISTANT coaches! That’s the approach that new Canucks’ GM Mike Gillis took, sending in head coach Alain Vigneault to do the dirty work. Then, Gillis turned around and extended Vigneault, who is widely viewed as the wrong style of coach on an offensively challenged team like Vancouver.

• Atlanta Thrashers: When Don Waddell fired Bob Hartley early in the 2007-08 season, the thought was that he’d replace him temporarily. Well, that stretched out to the end of the season, and another season of not making the playoffs. So, the impoetus now has to be on finding a capable bench boss to turn things around. A prime candidate here would be Joel Quenneville, at least in my opinion. Other possibilities are Brad McCrimmon or maybe Pittsburgh assistant coach Andre Savard.

Sure, it was a 19 game playoff run, but it didn’t do much for the development of the future Toronto Maple Leafs.

Jiri Tlusty, he of nude photography fame, scored a whopping two goals in 19 post-season games. Yikes. Even Andy Wozniewski managed to score four. Tlusty’s playoff disappearing act certainly doesn’t bode well for the future, although it’s not like he and the Leafs will be playing in playoff games anytime soon.

Speaking of two, that’s how many playoff games Justin Pogge, the franchise’s anointed goaltender of the future, the goaltending prospect the brains upstairs chose over Tuukka Rask, started out of 19. Yeah, that’s really going to help him develop into a top-flight NHL calibre goalie. Well done coach Greg Gilbert, well done.

Alex Foster, who I believe got into a few games with the big club a few months ago, also contributed a measly two goals.

So did Jay Harrison, but he added 10 assists and was one of the few bright spots for the Marlies. Where the was this guy this past season? How is it humanly possible that Andy Wozniewski made the Toronto Maple Leafs - Andy Wozniewski! - out of training camp, and Staffan Kronwall got the call when Carlo Colaiacovo went down with his annual season-ending injury, while Harrison was toiling in the minors? Ridiculous. Straight ridiculous.

If you’re wondering, John Mitchell led the Marlies in goal scoring with eight and David Ling led the team with 17 points. For the full scoring breakdown, check out the layout.

A serious lack of discipline devastated the Marlies against Chicago. The Wolves averaged more than eight power plays a game in the five game series and they made Toronto pay, scoring 10 power play goals on 41 opportunities. Last night they were 3-for-9 with the man advantage. In contrast, the Marlies scored two power play markers all series. It’s pretty obvious the Marlies are the farm team of the Leafs. Much like the big club the Marlies can’t score on the power play or kill penalties, either. Idiots.

In my honest and ever-important opinion, Greg Gilbert should be fired for choosing to play Scott Clemmensen ahead of Pogge. It was an absurd decision and one that could only be allowed to happen under this franchise. Someone - i.e. Cliff Fletcher - should have stepped in and made sure Pogge was between the pipes. What you have here is another, might I add shining, example of Toronto Maple Leafs player development. Textbook MLSE development. You know how we do.

The optimist in me wants to believe that Pogge won 50% of the games he started, and that Tlusty, who finished fifth on the team in playoff scoring with 10 points, is going to be one fine NHLer. But the realist in me knows that Tlusty went AWOL, that a great opportunity to see what Pogge could have done has been lost, and that this franchise is being run by some people who clearly don’t know what the they are doing.

I need a drink.

Since the lock-out season in 2004-05, the cap has steadily continued to increase. From three years ago until now the NHL has increased it’s cap, with three years left in the CBA, it isn’t ludacris to suggest that by the end of the current CBA the NHL will have a salary cap of over 70 million at the current rate of inflation.

It’s a good thing that the cap continues to climb, sure the fans are paying more for their tickets, but it also means that even if ticket prices have soared the fans are willing to pay, which in turn means more revenue for the NHL, and teams.

Unfortunately for the NHL when the current CBA ends, if the cap is 70 million or over, teams like the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and maybe a few others will be able to maintain a competitive team, however there might be another debate as to small market teams like the Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames–to name only two– and if they will be able to survive with the cap and floor being so high.

This could result in the public and players as well as the owners losing one year of hockey and revenues as well as salaries for nothing, Eventually you might have teams being able to support two three or four players making over 8 million a season. That doesn’t mean that a certain team will be the best. Look at the Tampa Bay Lightning, until the trade deadline Tampa had Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, and Martin St-Louis, and they did poorly even though those players had a good year.

I presume that for now all the fans can do is go with the flow, and challenge their respective teams to use the accending cap to acquire better players or keep the good players that they already have. However if the world of hockey is subject to another lock-out in three years I don’t think that the fans will be so quick to come back to the sport.

For now let’s all enjoy the fact that there is hockey, and make our teams use the money that is available to them and acquire some more players, let’s enjoy it while we can.

Of course this is only from one source. I am trying to find out more.

But, if this is the case, should the Habs be able to sign him, it would solve some of their problems for at least two years.

Sundin still has one good year, and one half decent year. Sundin’s good year would be one with the Habs centennial.

It wouldn’t matter on what line he could play, I’m sure the coaching staff, as well as the players would be more than happy to accommodate him.

And what would be said of Bob Gainey, who some questioned if he had the intestinal fortitude to be a gm in Montreal, they would be put to shame.

As I said, as of now I can’t confirm this, but hopefully….