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Montreal Canadiens: What If Mats Sundin Agreed To Play for The Habs?

By Ken MacMillan

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 13: Mats Sundin #13 against the Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 13: Mats Sundin #13 against the Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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MONTREAL – NOVEMBER 12: Saku Koivu #11 of the Montreal Canadiens battles Mats Sundin. (Photo by Charles Laberge/Getty Images)
MONTREAL – NOVEMBER 12: Saku Koivu #11 of the Montreal Canadiens battles Mats Sundin. (Photo by Charles Laberge/Getty Images) /

Sundin was dominant, consistent player at the time

Sundin was one of the most consistent players in the league at that time. The 6’5″ and 231 pound centre didn’t play the most punishing style, but he wore down opposition defenders by working down low and being impossible to knock off the puck. In the 11 seasons leading up to him almost becoming a Montreal Canadien, Sundin scored between 73 and 94 points. He had averaged over a point per game each season following the 2004-05 lockout.

The Swedish centre always showed up to play in the postseason as well. Whether his wingers were Steve Thomas, Alex Mogilny or Jonas Hoglund and Johnny Pohl, Sundin always found a way to put up points. Over the course of his 18 year career, he scored 38 goals and 82 points in 91 playoff games.

Sundin ended up choosing not to playa anywhere to start the 2008-09 season. He would eventually sign with the Vancouver Canucks and play the second half of the season. He scored 28 points in 41 games and then added eight point in eight playoff games. Had he decided to go to Montreal in late June, he would have been much better prepared and would have been better in the regular season. A 70 point season for Sundin at that time would be a really safe bet.

When the Habs couldn’t land Sundin, they turned their attention to Robert Lang. The Czech Republic native was entering the last year of a contract that paid him $4 million per year and he scored 39 points in 50 games before being injured and missing the rest of the year. That’s solid production, but he missed most of the second half of the year, and Sundin could have been even better.

The Canadiens also brought in Alex Tanguay for that season. A line of Tanguay, Sundin and Kovalev would have been exceptional that season. A second offensive line of Saku Koivu between the two Kostitsyn brothers would have provided plenty of scoring. That would have given them a third line of Tomas Plekanec with Chris Higgins and Guillaume Latendresse, which would have been a solid two-way third line. A fourth line built around Max Lapierre, Tom Kostopoulos and a young winger like Matt D’Agostini or Max Pacioretty would round of a deep group of forwards.

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