Well, it's back to the forefront of every Leafs fans mind already. A report came out of Sweden, which was admittedly false but published anyways, that Sundin had agreed to play for Vancouver on a two year contract. In lieu of this, Sundin issued a statement saying that he will not begin to think about what team he wants to play for until he is certain he will be ready to play another hockey season.
So when that time comes, what is he going to say?
Well, if you know Mats then you know how long it takes for him to make up his mind. He knows that time is on his side, and he's going to make the most of it. It's evident that he'll be back in the NHL, because the money is just too good to pass up right now. It's awfully hard to turn down a 20 million offer for two seasons of hockey, no matter how old you are. J.P. Barry, Sundin's agent, thinks he'll be back as well.
Several sources have said he is leaning towards Vancouver, while others insist it's back to the Leafs or retirement.
I personally don't see Mats back with the Leafs. Even if the team is still on his shortlist, Mats is relieved of the pressure of 'abandoning' his team, now that its clear they are not trying to make the playoffs and don't really 'need' him to give that extra push that might take them from 10th to 8th.
I think Sundin is likely to go to Vancouver over Detroit and Montreal simply because he'll be able to be the same sort of player he was in Toronto - relied upon as a leader and a scorer. It might just be his best fit.
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