Now that the season is over for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the team lockers have been cleared out, have we seen Mats Sundin in a Leafs uniform for the last time? If you believe what the press has credited as statements from both General Manager John Ferguson and from Mats Sundin himself, both sides want to get a deal done. But is this really good news for Leafs fans?

In these post-salary cap NHL days, things have changed as to how players are signed and the way they are paid. The salary cap was pitched to the public as a positive step to growing the NHL in that it would help smaller market NHL teams survive and even be competitive. In Toronto’s situation, however, having the funds to spend was not a problem. Toronto has traditionally been a “big spender” on player salaries and is still learning how to live within the NHL’s salary cap.

Depending on a particular NHL team’s situation and the contracts already on its books, juggling the money even before the salary cap was often a challenge (even when the team didn’t need to be concerned about money and coming to terms with its superstars). It is a matter of perspective as to how well Toronto has managed its budget for talent over the past couple of years. Perhaps now that it has been established what a thirty-something center (who is the team captain) is worth, it might provide a guideline to establish what Toronto will need to offer Mats Sundin.

But perhaps the real question is how much is Mats Sundin really worth? Sundin has said that “he loves being part of Leafs organization and Toronto is his home.” Since the Leafs have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967, there certainly is sufficient motivation for Sundin to help the Leafs bring the cup back to Toronto. But is Sundin willing to live with the possibility that he might not be able to accomplish this goal before he retires? If he is willing to join the list of so many players who have never tasted the victory of winning the Stanley cup, then one has to wonder if Sundin is willing to accept less money.

In today’s NHL salary cap environment, the days of NHL teams mortgaging their futures to keep superstar players and their outrageous contracts are done. It’s not that Sundin is not worth big bucks, but at the same time if the team’s goal is to win a Stanley Cup, the team needs cap room in order to sign and build the talent to do so. The days of hockey players staying with one team for their entire careers are practically over. While it is possible to win games with rookies and journeymen players, the team must have the leadership and talent that guys like Sundin offer, and that deep experience does not come cheap.

The Leafs did come within a point of making the playoffs this season and at times the Leafs played with true fire. Sundin did his part by chipping in 76 points this season, with 27 goals and 49 assists. However, 76 points was only good enough to earn him 34th place overall in scoring. While this is certainly respectable, many would argue that Sundin had 33 other players ahead of him that performed better. That said, his numbers led the team in goals, points and assists. In the event the Leafs do not re-sign him, they will have to replace not only a team leader, but the team leader who had the most goals and assists. Sundin finished the season with a -2 rating, and while this could have been better, he did collect a career high of 321 shots on goal. And if a few more pucks had gone into the net, Sundin would have had an even better season.

Sundin was not plagued with injuries as he had been in past seasons. He remained reasonably healthy and was able to play 75 games this season, far better than in seasons past. The Leafs were hit hard with injuries again this season, and Sundin isn’t responsible for that. Still, what type of production might Sundin have had with a healthy team behind him all season? The indications are that Sundin is healthy, yet rumors continue in the Canadian media that all of his prior injuries have taken their toll and that he might decide to retire. Meanwhile, Sundin continues to indicate that he wants and plans to return for another season.

Sundin’s current contract carries a $4.63 million option for next season. The problem is that if the Leafs pick it up, the charge against the team cap would be closer to $6.33 million (due to the fact that the charge against the cap is the average amount of all of the years of the contract together). It is obvious that from a salary cap perspective, the Leafs should choose not to pick up the option on Sundin and try to get a new deal negotiated to help create more cap room.

Manager John Ferguson has said that he wants to get a new “two-year cap- friendly deal” done as soon as possible. He has indicated that he has been in discussions with Sundin’s agent and would like to have a deal completed before the option window on the current contract opens June 1-5, 2007. Ferguson continues to indicate that Sundin is part of the team’s future plans. All of this appears to bode well for Sundin.

The only real flaw in all of this good will is that Joe Sakic has recently signed a $6.75 million one-year deal to stay with the Colorado Avalanche for one more season. This has established what a thirty-something center, who also happens to be the team captain, is worth. Ferguson has already said that he does not want to pick up Sundin’s option for next season because the cap charge would cost $6.33 million, and he wants a more cap friendly deal. If Sakic has a $6.75 million contract for one season, it stands to reason that Sundin is also in that neighborhood. If all Sundin cares about is the money, then it seems likely that he would either retire or turn “UFA” to test the waters. Sundin is a valuable asset, and even if the Leafs make it to a future playoff race without him, it would still sting tremendously if Sundin were lost to another team.

If Sundin really intends to end the cup drought in Toronto, he needs to sacrifice some money to allow room to bring in additional talent. He deserves to be their captain because he is the team leader. Doug Gilmour handed this role over to him and it would be nice to see Sundin finish out his career in a Toronto uniform. All of the pieces must fall into place at the right time in order for the Leafs to reclaim their status as an elite NHL team and a Stanley Cup contender, and Mats Sundin is one of those key pieces.

In the end, Sundin is an integral part of Toronto, to serve as a valuable mentor to younger players, to help Toronto reach the ultimate prize in hockey. As with all contract situations with Canadian hockey teams, the developments will unfold in a very public forum, and many opinions will be voiced on what the Leafs should do to get this deal done. The good news is that Ferguson is mindful that Toronto needs to make the Sundin deal work within the Leafs’ cap restrictions. Chances seem good that we will see Sundin in a Leafs uniform next season and that he will pass the torch to the next generation of Maple Leafs players. Re-signing Sundin does not assure an end to the 40-year Stanley Cup drought in Toronto, but their chances are better with him. Let’s hope that we see a deal that makes sense for all – one that leads to a better team next season.