OK Then

When Zach pontificated this afternoon about what the Rangers should do to accomodate Mats Sundin, I don't think any of us expected to have the point become moot within ten hours. And yet, that's exactly what happened. The headlines are stating that Sundin "snubbed" New York, sort of in the same vein that every free agent "snubs" the Yankees by going to a different team. Did he snub the Rangers? Not as much as he snubbed the NHL in general; however, the NHL gets what it deserves for letting Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer pull this same stunt last year.

When I first heard Sundin was headed to Vancouver, I was shocked. It seemed like the Rangers were a much better fit for Sundin, and all indications were that he'd be willing to wait for the Rangers to clear out cap room. But it's all for naught, and it'll be interesting to see how the Rangers respond. Do they take this subtle message from Glen Sather, the message saying he thinks they're fine the way they are, as a positive sign? Or do they let this become a distraction to the point that Sather is stuck overpaying for a Sundin-type impact player who happens to have an expiring contract? Only time can tell the answer to these questions.

The big thing is, in my eyes, Sundin showed that he isn't overly concerned with winning the Stanley Cup. Should he be? I mean, he didn't grow up in Canada salivating over the chance to hoist the Cup one day. Instead, he grew up in Sweden, with the NHL a pipe dream until Europeans like Jari Kurri paved the way, showing that the European game translates well to North America and, more importantly, that the NHL is the top place in the world to play. So forgive Sundin if he isn't exactly committed to winning now. This is something we all learned when he refused to waive his no-trade clause while with the sinking ship that was Toronto last year. Obviously, Sundin would have a much better chance reaching the Cup Final with the Rangers than with Vancouver. The West is loaded with great teams; San Jose, Detroit, and Anaheim are just three of the legit Cup contenders out West. Not that the Rangers are a much better team than the Canucks (they're probably not better at all), but the Rangers would only have to go through Pittsburgh and Boston - and the jury is still out on how long the Bruins can keep up their current pace.

In the end, Vancouver is the perfect place for Sundin. He gets to continue to be a high-profile idol in Canada, something that's apparently very important to him. He gets to play in a place where winning a Stanley Cup isn't the be-all and end-all; remember, a second-round finish is progress in Vancouver, while with the Rangers it'd be considered a failure. And hey, if it doesn't work out with the Canucks, he can resume jerking teams around next fall when he pulls his Brett Favre routine yet again.

Having said all of that, the Rangers' outcome this season will always be tied back to the decision Mats Sundin made to spurn the Rangers in favor of Vancouver. If the Rangers manage to stay atop the Atlantic and make a deep playoff run, it'll be because the team bonded in the wake of Sundin's decision and realized their potential. And if they fall apart, it'll be because Sather couldn't get the job done. It's rare that a team's turning point occurs before Christmas, but it appears as though that's exactly what's happened to this Rangers team. Their response will be very, very telling.