Habster:
Below is an excerpt from the Ottawa Sun article by Bruce Garrioch who rightfully mentions that the Canucks could still benefit from Mats Sundin signing elsewhere.
The Rangers, Blackhawks or Canadiens will have to dump/trade salaries (ie- Gomez or Lang) to accommodate adding Sundin so it might be a match made in heaven.
Granted Canucks fans, it’s a consolation prize but if I could add a much younger Scott Gomez with the available cap space and still have approximately $2-$2.5 million left over to swing another deal at the trade deadline, then I jump on it!!!!
Call it the Mats Sundin ripple effect.
Sundin is narrowing his choices and nearing a decision — and that could trigger trades across the league.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be a big ripple, but it could mean something shakes loose and a few guys get dealt,” a league executive said.
Sundin is expected to narrow his field to two or three teams — likely the Rangers, Canucks and Canadiens — by tomorrow and finally make a decision later this week.
His new team may have to move money — and players — to accommodate him. Not to mention the losers in the Sundin sweepstakes pursuing other top players.
League sources say the Rangers are one of the frontrunners if Sundin’s preference is to stay in the East. He wants the chance to win a Stanley Cup, respects president/GM Glen Sather and would relish the chance to star on Broadway.
The Canucks actually have the cap space to give Sundin $20 million over two years — the offer they made in July. If the lose out, GM Mike Gillis will go shopping. The most likely targets will be the Rangers’ Scott Gomez and Habs’ Robert Lang.
Gomez, who is making an average of $7.3 million for the next four years, has a limited no-movement clause, but could be convinced to go to Vancouver.