Will Mats Sundin be back with the Maple Leafs?

The most recent news concerning Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin, is that he is strongly considering retirement. Reportedly, some sources in Sweden have indicated he seems less interested in hockey than he has in the past years, mainly because he hasn't been skating or working out with his usual enthusiasm. Instead, he has been fishing and playing golf.

I can really see retirement as the most likely option for Sundin at this point, though I am still hoping he will instead return to the Toronto Maple Leafs. I can imagine he feels a little less than enthused with the whole Maple Leafs franchise, given the way he was treated at the trade deadline last season. Some Leafs "fans" remain angry over him refusing to waive his no trade clause, and take a trade to go play in the playoffs with a team he just met.

True, some people argue Sundin could have helped the Maple Leafs by accepting a trade and bringing in a return from another team. However, it just doesn't send a great message to players across the NHL if we try and run our star player and captain out of town. I just can't see very many players finding the Toronto Maple Leafs an appealing organization to come to, if we say, "come play for us, and if you play good we will railroad you out of town!" Not to mention it is not Sundin's job to be the General Manager, his job is to serve our team by putting pucks in the net, and he does a great job of that. As the captain, he also didn't want to abandon the teammates he was leading since the beginning of the year. In my opinion, people who are still mad at him need to understand this, and let it go.

Fans Impatiently Await His Decision

As the summer days continue, some Toronto Maple Leafs fans, as well as hockey fans in general, are beginning to get impatient at the fact that Mats Sundin has not yet decided whether or not he will return. In my opinion, there is no reason for this impatience. Sundin has said since last season ended that he is undecided about his future in the NHL. He is currently under no contract, so he doesnt owe it to any club, including the Maple Leafs, to rush his decision. All the teams who chose to go after him (Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Canucks and reportedly the Avalanche) were completely aware of the fact that he has not made up his mind when they tabled their offers. They knew this, so they have chosen to accept the risks of waiting on his decision. To me, this speaks volumes about what these teams believe Sundin can do for them.

As for the Maple Leafs, I dont see a reason why we should be in a hurry. There really aren't any free agents left on the market that GM Cliff Fletcher is interested in using Sundin's cap money to sign. The only roster moves the Maple Leafs will probably be doing involve trades. Those can be done any time between now and next year's trade deadline. Training camp does not begin until the middle of September, and the regular season does not get underway until October. There is absolutely no need for Sundin to rush to a decision about his future.

In my personal opinion, he should take all the time he needs in deciding. There is no reason for the fans to be complaining for him to make up his mind quicker, but again, that speaks volumes about how much the ticket holders like to see him play. So here's hoping that when he finally does make the call, he will be returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he belongs, for at least another season. The young players could certainly benefit from his leadership. Although if he decides to hang up his skates, Im sure Maple Leafs fans wont have any hard feelings.