Leafs Make a Bad Call in Signing Sundin

TSN is reporting that the Leafs are close to signing Mats Sundin to a two-year, $11 million US contract. All I can say as a Buffalo fan is hallelujah! This really isn't about Mats Sundin, he is a heck of a player. This is more about the continuing penchant for the Maple Leafs, as an organization, to bury its head in the sand and pretend that they are close to being a championship team and that Lord Stanley will come knocking with his cup anytime soon.

Sure, you need top flight players like Sundin to get a cup, but you have to surround those players with workable high quality pieces in order to make your cup dream a reality. The Leafs have it somewhat right. They have started a form of a youth movement and have some great young pieces. Guys like Kyle Wellwood, Carlo Colaiacovo, Mats Stajan and Alexander Steen. They have a horse in Thomas Kaberle. Unfortunately they also have a slew of overpriced and injured or under-performing players like Nik Antropov, Hal Gill, Bryan McCabe and Jeff O'Neill, just to name a few. Reality wise, they are like most teams in the league; they don't want to commit to a youth movement because the want to WIN IT NOW. They don't want to commit to a veteran squad because it has failed so many times before. In the meantime they sputter along with mediocre goaltending, a faltering defense and mediocre offense and seemingly are content to eke into 8th place with 41 sellouts under their belts.

The Leafs management needs to be better than this. Like them or not Leafs fans are passionate, knowledgable and ultimately, loyal. Sometimes it takes hitting bottom to rise out of the ashes. As frustrating as it may be, I have to believe the Leafs fans know that and would accept it. In my most humble opinion the Leafs should have sent Mats packing and sent the majority of the veteran underachievers out the door afterward. While the outlook on this coming season and maybe the next would have been ugly the consolation prize could very well have been named John Tavares. Tavares is the type of player that could lead a young, up-and-coming team like Toronto would be out of the wilderness. The fan base might have been unhappy for two years, but the pot at the end of the rainbow would have made it worth it.

But... the Leafs took the road they have almost always chosen. Bringing Mats back guaranteed they are in the mix for a playoff spot, but not a championship. Until this mentality changes the Leafs are doomed to continue their Lord Stanley drought.