Mike Gillis And The Canucks Should Welcome Mats
A year ago at this time, Mats Sundin had several NHL teams in a state of intense anticipation, waiting on his decision to either retire or to return to the NHL.
This off-season, there has been virtually no Mats speculation in the media. This is odd, considering that one of the conversation fixtures of the hockey offseason is speculating on the futures of remaining free agents. We’ve heard mentions of the “Tanguay Sweepstakes”, as well as ponderings about the future of Hall-of-Fame candidates Dennis Seidenberg and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Okay, the endless Mats saga last season became tiresome, but does he not deserve some attention?
Regardless of the fact that the media spotlight is no longer on Mats, the Canucks should be trying to get him back in the Green and Blue for one more season. He’s still an impact player and won’t cost as much this time around.
Upon his arrival in Vancouver last season, Mats wasn’t an immediate game-changer, but he managed to put up a respectable 28 points in 41 games. Over a full season, this projects a 56 point pace, which is good tally for a second line centre. Considering also the added difficulty of jumping in to the NHL grind at mid-season, it shouldn’t be a stretch to project a healthy Mats scoring upwards of 60 points with the benefit of training camp and powerplay time with the Sedins.
Sundin was also a point-per-game player in the post season, netting 8 points in 8 games, including this beauty against the Blackhawks. He was also the Nucks’ best regular season faceoff man, performing at 55.2% on draws, compared to Henrik Sedin’s success rate of 49.6%.
And although Mats’ performance underwhelmed many Canucks observers who held monsterous expectations for the former Olympic gold medalist, his teammates were more than pleased with his impact.
Most notably, Ryan Kesler had this to say about Mats in a recent interview:
“We all want him back. Of course, I want him back — he’s my centreman. He definitely helped. He brought my game to the next level.”
That’s high praise, coming from Kesler, who grew tremendously as a player in 08/09, garnering the most first place votes for the Selke trophy.
But as for the Canucks’ chances, would they have a shot at the cup this season, even with Mats?
In a wide-open Western Conference this upcoming season, Hockeycentric has the Nucks pegged in at 7th, and The Hockey News has them winning the Northwest and finishing 3rd. Some argue that San Jose is still the class of the West, while others point to Chicago or Detroit challenging out of the Central. Perhaps the revamped Anaheim Ducks will make some noise, or even the Calgary Iginlas. Despite the presence of high-end teams in the Western Conference though, there is no clear cup favourite this season. With Luongo due for a raise at season’s end, and the expiring contract of second-line staple Pavol Demitra, Vancouver should make use of their remaining cap space. This year is as good a time as any to make a push.
Vancouver boasts the best goaltender in hockey, a solid defense core (even with the departure of Ohlund), and with Mats in the lineup, a forward group that is among the best in the West. Along with these pieces, the Canucks have been through the playoff grind before, so perhaps they’re mentally ready to make another big run.
From a depth standpoint, the addition of Mats would allow Mikael Samuelsson to drop down to the third line, giving youngster Cody Hodgson a quality veteran to take the pressure off. (Because let’s face it, Steve Bernier and Mason Raymond aren’t the ideal flanks for an offensively gifted rookie like Hodgson).
But despite how well Vancouver might fare with The Big Swede once again in their lineup, no Mike Gillis sales pitch can woo the former Leaf captain if he isn’t willing to commit to another season.
Having already announced that he will not play for Team Sweden at the upcoming Winter Olympics, Mats has acknowledged that his career is nearing a close. Or at least, he’s trying to avoid anything resembling last year’s media circus surrounding his possible comeback.
Mats has shown that he’s still capable of playing at a high-level, but now it’s simply a matter of desire. If Mike Gillis is serious about contending in the West, he should be on the phone pleading for one more year of #13.
Alain Vigneault on Fri, 28th Aug 2009 6:20 am
Mats was nothing short of a piece of garbage in the dressing room… he thought he owned the place
one time he told jannik hansen to sharpen his blades and clean his cup…
and he made rick rypien wipe his ass everytime he took a shit before game time
i dont know if gillis will bring him back, but if i had the final decision id say…
"FUCK YOU MATS"
FART SUGAR on Fri, 28th Aug 2009 11:22 pm
FUCK MATS
Tex on Sun, 30th Aug 2009 5:39 pm
Vigneault's comment here really makes the scales tip over…
Well, putting a guy like Sundin in the dressing room could be a hazard, if there aren't guys that could speak to him about issues like that. Surely there would be. What's wrong with Luongo and the twins, and the coach, can't they speak? One of the points of having him would be exactly to strenghtening the team morally. His presence, volume and his grin are factors, and it should be in the face of the opponents. I am not sure "modest" is the right expression about Mats, but he's intelligent enough to adapt and respect those who are supposed to lead the team. For sure, he'll have to get used to not being the one who leads by example scoring-wise, or orally, but he will know that. …
Tex 2 on Sun, 30th Aug 2009 5:39 pm
… The analysis above is right on the money, as I see it. Mats is a solid force that may have seen his best days but that could be a cornerstone during the season and a great, experienced capacity during playoffs. Furthermore, like it or not, Sundin would make a connection between the twins and Samuelsson (neither being that kind of enthusiastic natural leaders) and make them better and more confident players. They are all good players for sure, but Mats could take them to another level, if he understands that. Being Swedish, they would identify with each other, feel secure, and play at their best. Mats has that brotherly dimension, and Samuelsson is certainly used to having Swedes around, but isn't the kind of guy that will take much social initiatives. Mats would make them a band.
Tex 3 on Sun, 30th Aug 2009 5:48 pm
As I see it, there is not much incentive for Mats to join any other club, save Detroit. He's not the kind of guy that would go to any organization just to play for the cup. He's a social animal, and maybe he needs to dominate, or at least be appreciated for his abilities, and coming to any team, with their hierarchies set, wouldn't be what he's looking for, if he doesn't have mates there already. Detroit, sure, but that the last bastion of Swedes that he know from before.
Tex 4 on Sun, 30th Aug 2009 5:48 pm
And then some more reflections: as I see it, all this jibberish about him not being able to decide, I'd say it's unfair. At his age, with his need for proper motivation, and with his "bigness", and under cap space conditions, he wouldn't have fit into many teams. There aren't that many options, you know. It isn't he, it's media that has taken it out of proportions. Sure, it proves he's significant, and makes an impression, but that's also the only reason to tear him down, ins't it? If it were John Doe, noone would have asked him whether he had decided, and noone would have felt inclined to complain, or make a fuss about it, or? And then there was Toronto, you know, and it's fans, and the quite unrealistic view that he in someway owed that club something, at the same time as he had to step carefully with those people who were more or less raised on Mats Milk, and saw nothing else when they gazed at the world.
Tex 5 on Sun, 30th Aug 2009 6:09 pm
And then details:
I believe you would find Mats' face off percentage being much better at the beginning of his time in Vancouver. So I recall.
That Mats' career is nearing a close has been known for a while. That he has turned down the Olympics with the national team has more to do with him being at his age, physically and generation-wise. He struggled for so many years to get the gold, including the Belarus debacle, and he has played so many games for the team that it would be hard to expect him to be able to play at his best after finally collecting the medal. He's a dutiful guy (look at him staying in Toronto), but he also has pride.
Tex 6 on Sun, 30th Aug 2009 6:11 pm
All this also means that you really don't have to f**k him. If Vancouver don't want him, if Gillis, or Luongo, or the twins don't really want him, they won't call him, and he won't show up. That's it. But if they want him, they'd better call him, because he won't come running otherwise.
I'd say he's fairly interested in gathering some more points, goals, and games to make a shot at getting higher in the all-time records lists for Europeans in NHL (he's primarily battling the Finns Selänne and Kurri, Jagr is way ahead), and perhaps get even better North American friends in those lists. I'd say he's very interested to prove himself and make a contribution to a winning team, and having fun doing it. But only if the conditions are right and he's welcome, of course. The Cup would certainly be a tremendous final, but you don't start the season thinking Cup or nothing. It is really extremely difficult to get it, if he doesn't make it to Detroit. Ask Toronto.
Tex 7 on Sun, 30th Aug 2009 6:35 pm
And finally, from my point of view: From a European perspective, at least, Sundin is not any other guy. He was the first European to be picked first of all in the draft, and he is one of few left today of his generation, with the kind of record he has. All the guys fall away, and with the KHL, the conditions for European players in NHL is changing. Sundin is historical in that respect, like Fedorov, and others, and he is the pinnacle of an era that was shaped by the Cold War, the expansion of ice hockey and the NHL as a kind of symbol for the balance of terror that permeated our world. The Swedish players were trained to try to beat the Soviets as a collective of 18 players and individuals, out of a population of 8 million in a country of the size of California. I don't need to tell you the size of the Soviet Union. And then perhaps make it to the NHL. Sundin was the first Swedish player that saw NHL as the natural place to aim for. That's where to get your qualities judged.
Tex 8 on Sun, 30th Aug 2009 6:36 pm
I'd say: let the guy play, let him in, let him partake and contribute and keep it going for another season. He's on top of the world of hockey, for crying out loud, what does it take for a guy to earn respect? I don't buy into the quit-at-your-best attitude, I believe it's a lie. And I certainly don't like people that mostly pick their noses all day, and probably won't make much more difference than that in their lifetime, make decisions about a guy who have accomplished so much for hockey and played for so long at that level. Why can't he be allowed to have a mediocre season for a change, if it should turn out that way? Are you really the pretenders for his spot? I mean, at least rest assure that noone will give your money away. You gotta have some humor, you have to see the beauty of it, you have to realize that it is history being made.