Going To The Mats?
I've been saying for a couple months now, but I do think there's a decent chance Mats Sundin will be wearing a Red Wings uniform next year.
Call me crazy -- hey, I'm not suggesting they retire his jersey yet, am I? -- but the pieces could fit rather nicely for it to happen. And when you hear Ken Holland talking about making a big free-agent splash, I think it's what he's suggesting.
Sundin's off in Spain golfing right now, but his agent reiterated the fairly obvious today, saying he thinks Mats will play another year. And while Sundin balked at a trade-deadline deal that likely would've sent him to Montreal back in February, the writing's on the wall in Toronto. They've got to get younger to get better, and with Ron Wilson coming in -- a complete stranger to the Leafs' 10-year captain -- now's the ideal time to move on and take one last shot at a Cup somewhere else.
Holland's got a good relationship with Sundin's agent, J.P. Barry, who just worked out a long-term deal for Dan Cleary with the Wings. And most important, there's a one-year window with lots of cap room in Detroit (where Sundin wouldn't have to play his old team more than once, unlike in Montreal.)
The NHL salary cap's going to be about $56 million next season, and the Wings have got about $40 million committed to a pretty full roster, not including: a few forward slots -- Filppula (RFA), Helm (RFA) and McCarty (UFA); a few defensemen: Stuart (UFA)?, Chelios (UFA) and Lilja (UFA) or Ericsson (RFA); and Howard (RFA). Sign all those and there's still $7-8 million to spend on a "big name" for next season. But therein lies the key: It's cap room that'll be gone after next year, because beginning in 2009-10 the salary for Zetterberg's going to jump about $5 million and the salary for Franzen's going to rise a few million more, as well.
So it makes perfect sense: Lure Sundin in to play for the Cup favorites with a half-dozen fellow Swedes -- centering a line with, say, Franzen and Filppula or Hudler -- on a one-year deal that'll pay him $6-7 million plus bonuses.
The catch? Sundin, who made $5.5 million last year and has a no-trade clause, may let the Leafs trade his rights before July 1, sort of the way Nashville let Hartnell and Timonen go to Philly a year ago in exchange for a first-round pick.
