Absolutely the offer got his attention. Got everyone attention for being so ludicrous. As the following states "people were overwhelmed with the offer.
Sundin gets $20 million offer from Canucks as big dollars fly
Maybe you should take the time in all your questioning others intelligence and telling people what to do with their time and consider the following:
1. We are talking about the contract offered to Sundin. And the contract offered was 2 years at 20 million and Gillis was willing he states to sign this.
2. The cap at the time was 56 mill. So you are tying up approximately 18% of your cap space for one player for two years.
3. Sundin was coming of a major hip injury. There was talk he would he needed major hip surgery (there was talk throughout that season that Sundin's career was over). His poor skating was a result and Sundin quit during the next off-season season after the Canucks b/c the hip was done. Moreover, Sundin labored very badly in last 20 games with the Leafs and scored one goal in those games. Also, Sundin had not played a full season in the 6 years prior to his signing in Vancouver. He was definitely damaged goods having been off hockey for 10 months at the time of the deal.
4. Canucks would have liable for both years of Sundin's contract. If he retired, the Canucks would still be liable for the 10 million the next year. That would have meant they would have near a fifth of their salary in dead cap space. That would have doubtless made it impossible to add the Erhoff contract as well as others during the 2009 offseason. Canucks would have had zero cap space or flexibility.
5. Sundin had not been the playoffs for 5 years prior to the signing and never won a Stanley Cup (so much for bringing in all the playoff experience). Note Jagr was also available at the time.
6. Repeat - Sundin's contract would have made him the highest paid player in the NHL at the time.
Some comments on Sundin's contract
“You mean Moses Sundin,” Sutter cracked. D. Sutter of the Flames
"And yet we're suddenly hearing about teams offering Sundin multiple years. That's madness. It's one thing to take a very reasonable gamble on Sundin for one year. It's another to risk your salary cap for the future to make it happen." Chicago Tribune reporter Samuel Rosenbloom
From column by Mike Halford
“I’m just happy [Sundin] performed above ‘epic failure’ level because there’s nothing as entertaining as listening
to Canucks fans bitterly recall the Messier Era. I was worried the hilarious memories of that $18-million first farewell
tour would be erased by a couple years of Sundin taking the money and running. But even Dopey Gillis isn’t crazy
enough to bring Sundin back, is he?”
From the same article. (don't really agree with the Dopey Gillis aspect but talk was he wanted Sundin back)
Sundin skated – during one of his unimpressive 20 second shifts – like he’d just completed a thorough colorectal examination.
Without any lubricant. The Sundin Era <coff> in Vancouver should be entitled The Sundin Epic Faliure.
When Gillis is finally canned in Vancouver Sundin will be cited as an example of poor personnel decisions made during his tenure.”
– John in Marpole
John, whoever he was, probably said it best.
However he did seem to FINALLY got into shape come post-season time & he (imho) was one of our better forwards.
