Mats Sundin is one of the most popular Toronto Maple Leafs players of all time, yet he risks tarnishing his legacy if he becomes an official with the club.
Reports suggest that the Leafs are on the verge of naming Sundin as the vice president of hockey operations, along with John Chayka. This isn’t exactly the Brendan Shanahan and Lou Lamoriello combo that this franchise is accustomed to, making it an intriguing decision.
I’ll save my thoughts on Chayka for another article, but for now I’ll focus on Sundin. Prior to Auston Matthews breaking the record last year, the 55-year-old had been the Leafs’ goal scoring leader for nearly two decades. He is a Hall of Famer who is regarded as not just an excellent player on the ice, but also a kind gentleman off the ice.
Sundin stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 230 pounds, commanding attention whenever he walks into a room, and his résumé speaks for itself. With over 500 goals and 1349 points in 1346 games, he is one of the greatest Sweden-born players in NHL history, and he will never have to pay for a drink in his native country after leading Team Sweden to an Olympic gold medal in 2006.
He never won a Stanley Cup, but 18 years in the NHL, a gold medal, and an average of over a point per game are career highlights that few other players can claim, placing him in elite company.
So, why would he want to tarnish it?
Sundin will damage his legacy if the Maple Leafs continue to fail.
Sundin has been away from the NHL for the past 17 years, apparently spending the majority of that time in Sweeden. He’s not very involved in the neighborhood, but he’s surely been more noticeable in the last several years, so it’s conceivable that he misses the spotlight and wants to do all possible to help the Leafs win a title.
As previously stated, he never won a Stanley Cup as a player, so he may be motivated to win one in a different way, as an executive. Unfortunately, given the history of this franchise, they are more likely to miss the playoffs than win a Stanley Cup, putting Sundin in a difficult situation.
The only way this position makes any sense for Sundin is if he works in the background. He can be presented and speak at a press conference, or come out and speak once a year, but he should not be engaging with the press on a regular basis, as the general manager does.
It is absolutely appropriate for Sundin to be engaged for good public relations, but that should be the extent of his involvement. He should be viewed as a bright hockey guy in the room, rather than the person who makes all of the decisions. He is an exceptional player and intelligent, but he lacks front office experience.
Perhaps I am pessimistic about the future of this organization, but it seems to me that the Sundin recruiting would undermine his legacy, since this squad does not appear to be anywhere close to winning a Stanley Cup.
