Okay. I was wrong about Mats

I admit. I was wrong. I said, "Mats Sundin will never be a Canuck" and here he is. I don't believe the hype that this is enough to get them to win a Stanley Cup but it's a serious piece. And the way cap space and player relationships were managed to get here shows that maybe I was wrong, too, about Mike Gillis being the wrong guy for GM. Somehow Alain Vigneualt has become more than a defensive co-ordinator but the on-ice product still has holes either from injury (boy, is Sami Salo susceptible to injuries!) or form lack of energy (up 3-0 against Edmonton two nights ago, the Cannots nearly snatched an overtime loss from the jaws of victory).

Will Mr. Sundin make such a big difference? After the much touted arrival of Mark Messier (which felt like the wrong move from day 1 -- but then I've never much liked Keenan as a coach either), much was expected, little delivered. But I have to admit that we didn't just get Sundin because nobody else wanted him. We got him because our GM knew what he wanted under the tree back in July and did whatever it took to get here. Now, with other injuries freeing up further cap space, perhaps a rugged defenceman to make the injuries mean less? The return, perhaps of Jovanovski? But maybe we can even do better than that.

I'll admit something else, too. I'm more optimistic about this team's chances to go deep into the playoffs than I have been for the last two seasons.