Mats Sundin to the Vancouver Canucks?

Mats Sundin has begun taking the first steps back to the NHL. Where the former Leaf captain plays is as yet unannounced. Philadelphia and  Anaheim won't need him anymore if he returns in a month. The Rangers look good without him. Montreal withdrew thier offer. Ottawa and Toronto are near his business interests, but aren't contending teams.

Vancouver has cap space and yawning holes on the first and second lines. There is that ten million dollar offer on the table too.

What would Sundin fix for Vancouver? Well, he could play wing on the Sedin's line. He is a center, though, so he would likely become the second line center. Demitra would move to the one wing and somebody else would play the other.

Sundin's shot could help the power play, which does need it! He wouldn't be killing penalties, though.

Sundin also does nothing to address the goaltending issues. There are some.

What about leadership? Sundin does bring that, starting in late November at the earliest.

Until Sundin returns to play he's a largish distraction.

The Canucks need to address some fairly pressing issues now. If they fail to do so the problems will compound themselves like money used to and pay dividends like finger-pointing, media savagery, and line-juggling!

There are already grumblers who say Steve Bernier is a plumber and Taylor Pyatt is too. Even franchise cornerstone Roberto Luongo has left himself open to criticism.

There are positives, of course. Both the third and fourth lines are playing pretty well.

I like the defence corps, although there are issues here as well. Salo is too brittle. Some of the others are too slow. None of them is an offensive-minded, puck carrying power, play quarterback, either.

Would Sundin lead this bunch to glory? Truthfully? No, not by himself.