Thursday, February 28, 2008

 

My favourite Mats Sundin quote

If anyone has a right to say he's shown he wants to raise the Cup, Sundin does--unless, that is, you compare him to the people who've actually done it, or gotten within a mile of doing so.

That and more from May of '06 here.

Comments:

What's the specific beef with Sundin? Beyond the fact that he's a Maple Leaf from Toronto, I mean.

Is there anything specific about him that grates, or is it just the attention-storm that surrounds him because of his role and his team?
 


I don't have a beef with Sundin; I'll take his side against the Coxes and Simmonses of the world 100 times out of 100.

I suppose the quote might come across as a bit bash-y, but (a) it's certainly not *that* unfair, and (b) it sounds good, which is the main reason I like it.
 


Apparently Hossa got hurt in only his second period with the Penguins. Anyone else want to join me in delighting in the injury of a human being?
 


I think Mats might have talked his way into a corner vis a vis negotiating his next contract with the Leafs. Fletcher can low ball him, and then ask (with some justification) if Mats is such a loyal Leaf where's the discount? If Mats balks and signs with somebody else Leaf Nation could rightly ask why he was so damn fussy about moving as a rental.
 


Precedent has shown that he will take a discount.

He also is the best player on the team.

And yet, fans hate him.

Anyone else see something wrong with this picture?
 


Sundin is awesome.

The Maple Leafs suck.
 


Sundin is awesome.

The Maple Leafs suck.


Pretty much
 


Apparently Hossa got hurt in only his second period with the Penguins.

And Richards got five assists in his debut with the Stars. What a contrast.
 


Apparently Hossa will be out for at least a week. In other words, about 20% of the remaining season.

Any volunteers to go knee-on-knee with Richards?
 


Allk this talk about Sundin being a rental player, putting on a strange jersey in a strange city for almost no pay for a few weeks to go for the elusive Stanley Cup. Maybe he can be Doug Weight in Carolina and win it, or maybe he can be Peter Forsberg in Nashville or Keith Tkachuk in Atlanta and not win it and wind up being the fall guy for the misfortunes of another team. Methinks the misfortunes of the Leafs are quite enough on one man's shoulders.

Canadians who tend to think the Stanley Cup is the only bauble in the hockey world should consider Sundin's other option: to put on a familiar jersey (Tre Kronor) in a familar city (Quebec, where Sundin played his first four years and where Sweden plays at least its preliminary games). The pay is still lousy, but Mats will have no trouble putting his heart into that team, because he's put it there before. He's a proud Swede, and he'd probably like nothing better than to win the centennial world championship in his old stomping grounds.
 


The Maple Leafs not only suck, but are catastrophically clumsy. They couldn't manage to approach Sundin behind the scenes, discuss waiving his no-trade, get an answer, and keep it quiet. They had to go public and try to force him out of town so he would bring in "a bounty of picks and prospects" to accelerate the rebuilding process (as though they were going to draft five Crosby clones or something).

That team's management couldn't organize a one-car parade without taking out fifteen innocent bystanders and running over their own feet.

(I won't join in delighting in the injury of another human being, but I will chuckle quietly to myself at the timing.)
 

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