Take the shot, Ice!!!!

...that's a Top Gun reference for all you young kids out there.

I've been following this whole Mats Sundin saga, or at least trying to, and I figured it was my time to chime in. There's no denying the fact that Sundin is a guy you wouldn't mind on your team. Even at 37, he's still got enough presence down low to make a difference when it counts. I'm not saying he's going to be a 100-point player, but he's probably still good for 15 or so over 70 games. Ask any Leaf fan what he's meant to their team, and you'll get bombarded with nothing but good memories with a few negatives scattered in for balance. It's kind of like asking Flyers fans to remember Keith Primeau or even Eric Lindros. It's a shame that a player like Sundin has never been to a Stanley Cup final, so you can understand why he wants one last shot to win it. It's not like other athletes haven't done the same (see Ray Bourque in Colorado), so this shouldn't surprise anyone. Of course, if you're a Leafs fan, you wanted to see him win it in Toronto, but that ain't happening.

That being said, $20 million? Who turns down $20 million over two years? Look, I know that Vancouver isn't exactly a Cup contender and will most likely struggle to even make the playoffs. And if Sundin is really putting a Cup over money, then I commend him. But for crying out loud, make a decision! Vancouver fans must be drinking coffee like crazy trying to keep up with any news coming out of Sweden, and this emotional roller coaster is no fun for anyone, even less so when it's your team.

I really think, and this is my opinion, that Sundin was bummed Detroit didn't give him a call. If he wanted to get his shot at the Stanley Cup, the Wings were his best option. Unfortunately, Detroit either felt they didn't need him or decided to spend the money on guys like Marian Hossa. Montreal basically gave up getting him, plus the sight of Sundin in a Canadiens sweater would just be wrong. The Rangers blew their money, no one else can afford him, and now he's down to either returning to a Leafs team in rebuild mode or a mediocre Canucks team. Or he could just retire. But he needs to make a decision, or else this could drag on into the season and turn into another Forsberg-Niedermayer-Selanne affair.

For the record, my money's on Sundin returning to Toronto.