As a Montreal Canadiens' fan, I should take delight in the ongoing disaster that is the Toronto Maple Leafs, beloved by both my father and brother Wayne. But schadenfreude gets old really quickly and I admit to a touch of actual pity dating back to the early 90's. About the time the Buds acquired Mats Sundin.
Despite the radio neaderthals hating Sundin on principle (he cost Wendell Clark), the fact is Sundin is and has been a great player for the Maple Leafs, daily far better than Wendell was on his best day. Now, he doesn't throw earth-shattering checks a la Clark, but anybody who's watched him bull out in front of the net from behind can't claim he's not physical. He has been durable in the main and he's played at a high level, without complaint and without complementary players for most of his time as a Toronto Maple Leaf. Outside of a fading Alexander Mogilny and on-the-downside talents like Gary Roberts and Steve Thomas, Sundin has carried water-carriers at his side throughout. And he's the LEADING SCORER in Maple Leaf HISTORY!
When not forced to play with local lads, Sundin has shown his true stripes. On Swedish teams that have won gold at the Olympics, the World Championships and various other competitions, Sundin has consistently been the best player on those teams. Not Forsberg or Alfredsson. Not Lidstrom. Sundin has been the top crown in the Tre Kronor. And he has done that with as little fanfare as possible.
If leading by example is a staple of a great captain, then Sundin stands below no one on the level of Toronto captains. Others might have Stanley Cups, but their teammates were better.
But now, it has come time for Sundin to do one final thing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He must agree to a trade to allow them to kickstart the rebuilding process that will last until well into Sundin's retirement. And beyond the end of this season, he must NOT RETURN to a final season or two as a Maple Leaf/Late Season Trading Chip. He's good enough to drag almost any collection of third and fourth line players into mediocrity and play-off contention. That is how good the bald Swede is.
No, the right thing is for Sundin to find the right team to boost to a Stanley Cup and then try for a second Cup like John Elway went back for one more Super Bowl. Then, it should be back to Sweden for the greatest Leaf of the 21st century. He goes with the thanks of hockey fans. Maple Leaf fans too.
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