Sundin On His Refusal To ‘Waive’ Goodbye To Leafs: ‘It Feels Good’

Mats Sundin has no regrets about his decision not to leave the Toronto Maple Leafs before the Tuesday trade deadline. The Leaf captain appeared in public for the first time since the dramatic decision was announced on Sunday, skating during practice in Ottawa, where the Buds will face the Senators on Monday night. 

“Personally, it feels good,” he smiles.

“You know, I follow my heart, and I just haven’t felt the desire to go to any other team or play for any other team at this point.”

He admits he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season ends and could wind up somewhere else, without the Leafs getting anything for him to help rebuild a shattered team. But he points out management agreed to his no-trade clause and he’s simply enforcing it.

As for the reaction to his announcement? “There’s nothing I can control about what people are going to feel about my decision,” Sundin reflects. “I hope people respect my decision and I can’t really worry about what people are going to say about it.”

Leafs blueliner Bryan McCabe, who also has a no-trade clause, defended his captain’s decision to enforce the clause.

“He’s got that right, just like all of us do. He’s earned that right. He’s played here forever. I don’t think anyone can picture him in any other uniform than a Leaf so good for him,” he said.

“We like having him around, he’s a good man and a great leader,” adds coach Paul Maurice.

While fans also  seem overwhelmingly in favour of the super Swede’s decision, some pundits admit they’re surprised by his stance.

“You know, the best interests of the Toronto Maple Leafs is that he waives the no-trade and goes and then this team can start rebuilding,” assesses sportscaster Rick Ralph of the Fan590.

“After all he’s the biggest asset that they have … It was his right. It was something that he negotiated into his contract and he had every right to do so and he has. I find it a little confusing as to why he would for a guy that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup to not want to go and try and win one because you know they’re not going to win it here for the next three, five years.”

So what happens now that the Leafs have one less ace in their deck? Ralph feels the Sundin name has been overemphasized.

“I think people are overestimating what return they’re going to get for Mats Sundin because he becomes an unrestricted free agent,” he adds. “He hasn’t said if he’s going to play at all next year or where. So a team that’s going to trade for him wants him to stick around another year or two … He usually makes this call in June, then teams aren’t going to give up too much to get him.”

But the other names that topped the trading block talk aren’t going anywhere either. Guys like Bryan McCabe, Darcy Tucker and Tomas Kaberle also have no-trade deals and also have refused to waive them.

So what’s a G.M. to do?

“Now you’re probably trading the middle tier player that makes about 2 to $3 million a year,” Ralph suggests. “Alexei Ponikarovsky, Nik Antropov, guys that have been drafted and brought up through the years. Maybe time to cut those guys loose. Chad Kilger’s another name. They may be some value. You’re not going to get a lot back though. That’s the thing. Your assets that are going to get you started on this rebuilding process, the top five assets, you can’t use.”

He also suggests buying out some expensive non-performers – like Jason Blake, who’ll earn about $5 million over the next three years – as another option.

But even that move comes with strings attached. “I think it’s two-thirds [of their salary] that you buy them out. That’s a lot of money.”

The real question – with disgruntled fans screaming for change, can the Leafs afford to do it?

And more importantly, can they afford not to? 

Photo credit: Dave Sandford/Getty Images