Free Agent Center Sundin Signs with Canucks

The Mats Sundin sweepstakes is finally over. On Thursday, the free agent center agreed to a one-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it's believed to be worth approximately $10 million. The Canucks had offered Sundin a two-year contract worth $10 million per season over the summer, but he turned down the deal to contemplate his future. The Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers were all believed interested in Sundin over the past several months. Last season with the Maple Leafs, Sundin played in 74 games, scoring 32 goals and 46 assists for 78 points. He is the Maple Leafs' all-time leader in goals and points. It's good to finally see all the speculation come to an end. Sundin had his choices narrowed down to the Rangers and Canucks, and it made little sense for the Rangers to sign Sundin, as they would have had to clear salary to make room for Sundin. Plus, the Rangers have plenty of depth on their forward lines and are currently struggling on the blueline, so they would be better off addressing their struggling defense than adding a forward. Prior to the start of the season, it was predicted the Canucks would struggle offensively given the subtractions of Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison over the summer and their overall lack of veteran depth on their forward lines. The Canucks surprised everyone by jumping out to a quick start and getting plenty of goals from their young forwards. By adding Sundin, the Canucks have further bolstered their strong offense and his experience should help the team finish the season at the top of the Northwest Division. As for being a Stanley Cup contender after the addition of Sundin, they are still far from it. Sure Sundin adds a wealth of talent to the Canucks' offense, but they could still use a little more depth and veteran experience to their offense to help them in the playoffs. Plus, if the Canucks are looking to go deep in the playoffs, Roberto Luongo will have to be at perfect help, otherwise Curtis Sanford's lack of playoff experience could spell an early exit.