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Stayin' Put

January 31, 2008 @ 09:05

For anyone who’s listened to me over the years or read some of my stuff on this website over the past several years, it will come as no surprise that I’m not a huge Mats Sundin fan.

He’s a wonderful person with a wealth of talent but I just don’t think he deserves to be grouped with the NHL’s elite. He’s close, but I don’t think Sundin has ever displayed the necessary passion to be elevated to super star status.

Mats Sundin has been a fine Maple Leaf, but as I look back over the years, he never reached the status of a Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark, Darryl Sitter or Gary Roberts because he never seemed to play the game as hard as these guys.

And that’s why I’m not surprised at Sundin’s insistence that he doesn’t want to leave Toronto at the trade-deadline. I don’t think he cares about hockey enough.

Let me explain.

Sundin may be throwing up a smoke screen by saying he doesn’t want to leave and that would be understandable. As I pointed out in an earlier posting, maybe deep down inside he can’t wait to get out of here and play with a real hockey team with a real shot at winning the Stanley Cup but he doesn't want to come out and say it because it wouldn't look good.

However more and more I'm inclined to think that he really doesn’t care that much, he’d prefer to stay in familiar surroundings, not be bothered with a late season upheaval and decide his next move this summer.

Winning a Stanley Cup might be a huge deal for most other players, but maybe it's not for Sundin, and that’s precisely why I’ve never been completely sold on the guy.

Category: Sports

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14 Responses to "Stayin' Put"


Allen
January 31, 2008 / 12:05

I suggest your next interview be with a teammate of his who has been behind closed doors (sans coaches) and privy to one of his motivational "speaches". He has passion.

"because he never seemed to play the game as hard as these guys"

He plays the game as hard as all the fellas mentioned above, his style is different. Do you think Gretzky or Lemieux played as hard as anyone on your list?

Like it or not, he will be remembered as the best Leaf who ever played the game.


allen
January 31, 2008 / 12:09

"speeches"


Joe
January 31, 2008 / 13:41

The same was said about the Big M in the 60's and Lemieux in the 80's.
He is the best player to put on the blue and white in a long time. He is the only player on the Leafs worth paying to see these days.
To bad the Leafs never bothered to find him a winger that could finish to play with Sundin. If they had he would have crushed the Leaf scoring records a long time ago!


Steve Brown
January 31, 2008 / 16:22

Mats has carried the Leafs for years. He is a skilled and powerful athlete, trouble is he made it look too easy and some read this as not passionate enough.


christian
January 31, 2008 / 17:10

I hear part of the reason he wants to stay is because he has a girlfriend in Toronto. He owes the leafs nothing after all the crap wingers they have given him over the years. So if wants to stay here I don't think anyone has the right to question his decision.


Billy Boy
January 31, 2008 / 19:58

Nevr had a winger? Never had a winger?
Freddie Modin, Jonas Hoglund, Sergei Berezin,Darcy Tucker, Nik Antropov and finally Blaker!!
All HOF material, dont ya think...wink, wink


mike (Buffalo Boy)
January 31, 2008 / 22:13

Freddie,
I think Mats is much better than you give him credit for, Besides Mogilny, name one decent winger he has had in Toronto to help him score?
Name a decent number two center the leafs have had? Nik Antropov has been okay this year but besides him who stepped up last year and was a legit number two? Mats has had no support yet he has put up numbers up there every year. I think he wants to stay because he loves it in Toronto and really wants to win a cup in TO.


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