Would the Leafs identity be different now if Sundin waived his NTC?

[Hot Water Bottle]

It was pretty big news in 2007-8 that Sundin was requested to waive his NTC, so the Leafs could trade for picks etc. and rebuild. I recall that people mostly were on his side about not doing it ("it's his right to do what he wants, man!"), but it's also not a real stretch to imagine that this pretty much put the Leafs into a tailspin which continues to this day. Would the Leafs look a lot healthier now if they did trade Sundin in 2007-8?

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[hizzoner]

He would have got a high return which would have helped the Leafs a ton.

 

[Radiohead]

IIRC, the rumoured trade was Sundin for Higgins, 1st. Meh.

I think Kaberle not waiving his NTC had a bigger impact.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

IIRC, the rumoured trade was Sundin for Higgins, 1st. Meh.

I think Kaberle not waiving his NTC had a bigger impact.

Jeff Carter and a first was the reported offer for Kaberle. What could have been.

 

[Jeti]

It delayed any possible rebuild, sure, but they never rebuilt properly regardless. An extra draft pick 8 years ago doesn't remedy their complete lack of patience.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

I don't know if they were reliable, but I do recall rumours that the Ducks would've given up Bobby Ryan for him. That's definitely a game-changer.

I definitely remember that, Carter+1st for Kaberle, 1st for Kubina. Not sure about McCabe and Tucker. Either way, the Muskoka Five definitely could've changed the league as a whole had they waived those deals.

 

[Territory]

Meh they would have found a way to mess it up.

 

[pale]

It's funny that the Sens Still have players for the yashin trade
... Spezza turned into Chiasson, Paul and Guptil and A 2nd ..

 

[Sinistril]

Obviously. But the Leafs have had incompetant management for a long time. They would likely just be in a different pile of mediocraty.

No need to go back that far and look at players who exercised their contract option when a bigger more blatant reason why the Leafs are where they are is still staring us in the face.

 

[Stephen]

The rumored return was Higgins, Grabovski and a 1st in 2009, and the Leafs got the best piece in Grabo anyway. So maybe marginally better during their earlier rebuilding years but not a game changer.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

The rumored return was Higgins, Grabovski and a 1st in 2009, and the Leafs got the best piece in Grabo anyway. So maybe marginally better during their earlier rebuilding years but not a game changer.

They paid a bit of a price to get Grabo, though. They reacquired the pick he went for to send in the Kessel trade, and the price of that was pick that eventually became Brandon Saad. Also possible they would've used that pick to trade up for Biggs instead of the one that eventually became John Gibson. No way of knowing who they would've taken, but yeah, they probably could've used that pick in the middle of a deep 2nd round in 2011.