Did The Nucks Get Their Money's Worth With Sundin?

Did The Vancouver Canucks Get Their Money's Worth with Mats Sundin?

by Kevin van Steendelaar The Bleacher Report/Opinion, May 12, 2009

On December 18th, 2008, the Vancouver Canucks announced that Mats Sundin had signed with the club to a one-year, $8.6 million contract.

Pro-rated for the remaining 41 games Sundin would play in the regular season, his salary works out to roughly $5 million.

During the regular season, Sundin mustered just 28 points and was minus five.

Before Sundin's arrival, the Canucks were 21-15-5, and went 24-12-5 after his debut on January 7th.

He missed the first two games in the first round of the playoffs, scoring one goal in the final two games against the St. Louis Blues.

Against the Chicago Blackhawks, Sundin's scoring improved, with seven points and a minus two, before the Canucks were ousted in six games.

His groin likely affected him through the playoffs and reports on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada suggested that he has an MCL sprain and is wearing a brace to protect it.

So in the end, was it worth it for the Canucks?

Sundin becomes an unrestricted free agent, yet again, on July 1.

Will Canuck's GM Mike Gillis, or any other GM for that matter, take a chance on the 38-year-old for another season for that kind of money?

Or will the rumours start to fly for another six months asking if he will play?

Where will he play?

When will he play?

i dont think he was worth it for the nucks it was definitely more of a distraction and he wasnt as good in the playoffas as they needed him to be

He looked injured or out of synch or something. All those short, stubby strides and not a lot of nastiness... those things look like they add up to a hip / groin problem to me, if I had to guess, probably the result of starting mid-season. He just didn't look himself.

But I'm no doctor. At least, not the medical kind.

he still wasnt worth it 28 points in 41 games for 5 mill and he wasnt that effective in the playoffs not what was expected not for the salary he was paid he should have been a top end guy a go to guy

Quick answer: no.

Absolutely not. He was average at best for 10 million dollars pro-rated. I'm both very surprised and a little disappointed. He probably should think about retiring for real unless he had an injury that he feels he can rehab properly.

504Heater wrote:Absolutely not. He was average at best for 10 million dollars pro-rated. I'm both very surprised and a little disappointed. He probably should think about retiring for real unless he had an injury that he feels he can rehab properly.

IMHO Sundin should have either committed no later than October, or stayed retired.

It will be interesting to see what the fallout in VanLand will be.

I expect the Vancouver press to unleash the dogs shortly.

During the RDS broadcast last night, the commentators agreed that Mats Sundin will not return to the Canucks next year.

Considering how little Sundin actually contributed--and there have been arguments made by writers and fans that Sundin's presence actually undermined the team's chemistry--we may have seen the last of 'un-retirements' in the NHL.

Especially ones as expensive as this.

That whole Sundin saga was idiotic. So much time and effort wasted on where he was going... utterly ridiculous. And for what? Nothing significant. Man he looked slow and tired out there... he should be embarrassed.

shabbs wrote:That whole Sundin saga was idiotic. So much time and effort wasted on where he was going... utterly ridiculous. And for what? Nothing significant. Man he looked slow and tired out there... he should be embarrassed.

It's quite rare that I would say an NHL hockey player looked slow, tired and totally ineffective.

But you're right Shabbs, Sundin should be embarrassed. He really should. It was pitiful.

Now, come to the Sens for 1.5 million please.

Nope, that was a total waste of money.

Should have sat the whole season.

shabbs wrote:Quick answer: no.

Longer answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

He was off for way too long before coming back, he never got his legs going. Bad move on their part, but a move I would've made too. You don't really know what will happen when you sign these superstars that are near retirement. It could've worked out famously for them had he got his Dung together by playoff time. That clearly did not happen.

Waste of money - yes
Worth the risk - yes

shabbs wrote:That whole Sundin saga was idiotic. So much time and effort wasted on where he was going... utterly ridiculous. And for what? Nothing significant. Man he looked slow and tired out there... he should be embarrassed.

Was it ever. Wow, so much hype for absolutely NOTHING. Brutal!