In sport, as in politics, religion and literature, symbolism matters. So with the return of the big Swede in the short pants of the Vancouver Canucks tonight, the post-Sundin era truly begins for the Maple Leafs.
To be sure, the first 58 games of this NHL campaign have borne witness to the painful period of reconstruction in which the Leafs find themselves without Mats Sundin in the middle of their lineup, but there's something to be said for closure and the realization there's no going back.
Remember this time last year? There was no shortage of fans who believed the Leafs could simply trade Sundin for a motherlode of youth and draft picks, and then re-sign him again in the summer.
It was about saying goodbye and moving on without really saying goodbye and moving on.
Losing Sundin has been good for the Leafs. Without No.13, the inescapable reality of the Leafs' predicament has been placed in vivid relief, and with that comes clarity.
In fact, while the Leafs are keeping company with doormats like the Islanders, Thrashers, Blues, Coyotes, Avalanche and Lightning these days, you can make the case that the hockey wing of MLSE is better positioned than any of those teams to rebuild effectively and with moderate speed. Why? Consider these factors:
Being terrible hasn't translated into a single unsold ticket for the Leafs. Yes, the MLSE brass can wonder aloud about changing GTA demographics and declining hockey registration numbers, but business is very good for the NHL's most valuable franchise.
The Leafs aren't impervious to larger economic forces, but they are far less vulnerable than the other clubs listed above and showed in 2008 with the hiring of Brian Burke and Ron Wilson that they have resources to do things other teams can't.
For the first time in more than three decades, the Leafs have total philosophical alignment between ownership, management and coaching. Not since the days of the early 1970s, really, when Harold Ballard owned the team but didn't meddle quite so much and left Jim Gregory to run the operation, have the Leafs been so settled internally. Gregory hired his coaches and men like Red Kelly and Roger Neilson produced winning squads.
These days, there's no sense that Larry Tanenbaum and Richard Peddie are sticking their noses into hockey. Burke and Wilson, meanwhile, both appear totally committed to the painful building required. Moreover, there's no confusion over the hard-nosed, aggressive team Burke wants to build.
With uncertainty in the industry these days, it pays to have salary cap flexibility, which the Leafs have. The cap may be going down, and in the next few years that alone may present opportunities for Burke to procure talent because other clubs may find themselves cornered.
The Leafs don't have any nasty long-term salary commitments or players signed to double-digit year contracts. Only five players are signed beyond next season, and the largest salary owed any of them is Tomas Kaberle's $4.25 million.
The team will get its second consecutive top-five draft pick this summer. When it last was in a similar position a quarter-century ago, it was able to draft Al Iafrate and then Wendel Clark, two very talented players. It's not hard to imagine a third consecutive top-five selection lies ahead in 2010, and the quality of players that should be added will form the core of the next good Leaf team.
The Leafs, as bad as they look these days, are positioned well for success down the road if they are willing to absorb this short-term pain for long-term gain. That "if," of course, is always the sticking point when it comes to the franchise founded by Conn Smythe.
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