I realize that writing this will probably earn me the ire of every Toronto Maple Leaf fan out there but I feel the need to address this current issue. Over the weekend it was revealed that the Montreal Canadiens have been granted exclusive rights to talk to Leafs captain Mats Sundin about becoming a Canadien. Now Leaf fans are up in arms that Sundin might leave and the Leafs will get nothing in return when he could have left at the deadline and the team could have received boat loads of compensation. To this argument I say, "it serves you right."
Mats Sundin has been the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs for 10 seasons now and has been nothing but great to the organization. He has scored at least 70 points in each of those seasons and led the team in points every year except 03-04 when Alexander Mogliny beat him by 7 points. He is the organizations leading goal scorer (420) and points leader (984) and this is while playing with bums. He has done everything for the team and more and yet what has he gotten in return? Nothing.
His last few seasons Sundin has winged by career 3rd and 4th line players in an attempt to help them "develop" and to "spread out the talent" to me this means the Leafs don't care enough about Sundin to go get a play maker. Ever since the departure of Mogilny Sundin has been forced to play with the likes of Matt Stajan, Nik Antropov, Alex Steen, Alexi Ponikarovsky, and Jiri Tlusty. Does the man not deserve better line mates than these stiffs? In an effort to address the problem before the start of last season the Leafs went out and signed Jason Blake a decent player but he is a GOAL SCORER and not someone to set up Sundin. Go out and sign an Alex Tanguay or someone who at least knows how to PASS the puck unlike shot happy Jason Blake.
Coincidentally since the departure of Alexander Mogilny the Leafs have yet to make the playoffs. Coincidence? I think not. When Sundin has a play maker with him the Leafs can do great things and be an offensive force but when 4th liners populate your top line your going to have a problem.
Mats Sundin has done everything ever asked of him and he has earned the right to do what he wishes with the remaining years of his career. Maybe the reason he didn't leave at the trade deadline was because he believed in his team like a REAL fan should. He didn't just give up and say blow up the team for picks and young talent. He thought they could win and played hard every night to try and get a spot in the playoffs. Yet what does he get for all his hard work? Fans now say he is a traitor and a bum and were trying to run him out of town at deadline day. Its shameful behavior and i'm not surprised that it was perpetrated by Leaf fans.
So Mats Sundin if you want to leave Toronto for greener pastures and a chance to actually play in the playoffs then by all means pursue that opportunity. Because it won't happen with the Leafs and after seeing the way the fans and organization have treated him in Toronto lately would he really want to help them?
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