As I'm sure you've all heard, Mats Sundin will not be waiving his no-trade clause and will be finishing the 2007-08 NHL season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I understand Sundin loves Toronto and the Leafs. I also understand that he didn't want to look like he was abandoning the sinking ship. Lastly, I also understand that he has the right to exercise the no-trade clause that is in his contract. However, after all of these understandings, I still believe, like most Leaf fans, that Sundin should have waived his no-trade for the better of the team.

Trading Sundin to a contending team for at least a top prospect and 1st round pick would have been a great help in starting the rebuild that this team desperately needs. Not only that, it might have lead to McCabe waiving his no-trade, then Kubina and then maybe even Tucker and/or Kaberle. Instead, it seems highly unlikely any of the four remaining players will waive their no-trades and Fletcher is left with trying to get the most for players such as Jason Blake, Alexei Ponikarovsky and Nik Antropov.

Since Mats is staying and the rebuild has to start sooner rather than later, one player that Cliff should shop in the remaining hours is Vesa Toskala. Toskala is the only tradeable Leaf, depending on how GM's rate Antropov, that would bring in a good return to help start a rebuild. Now before you flip out, remember that winning from here on in only hurts the Leafs draft position and Vesa is also a 30-year old, 31 in May, goaltender with groin problems.

So you're next question is, "Who will be the Leafs #1 goaltender?" That answer is simple, Justin Pogge. I can just hear it now, "But look what happened to Marc-Andre Fleury." The situation is completely different. Fleury was drafted 1st overall and made his impact at the World Junior Championship and was being looked at as the next goalie to shine at the WJHC and then translate that into a stellar NHL career, ala Roberto Luongo. Pogge on the other hand was a 90th overall pick and didn't show up on anyone's radar until he had a solid camp in 2005. Also, unlike Fleury, he had to earn his job as the #1 goaltender for Team Canada at the World Juniors. Pogge is very tough mentally and playing behind a young inexperienced team wouldn't affect him like it did Fleury.

Any way you slice it, Sundin is remaining a Leaf for the rest of the season and Mr.Fletcher has to now become creative in starting the rebuild process for the Leafs.


Take off,
Coco

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