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TORONTO — Mats Sundin broke his three-day silence and acknowledged that Toronto Maple Leafs interim general manager Cliff Fletcher has asked him to waive his no-movement clause in the hopes of working out a trade for the Leafs captain.
But Sundin didn't sound like he was about to change his mind and agree to be moved to a contender.
"The Leafs gave me a chance to think about it and all that, but as I said my position hasn't changed since the start of the year," said Sundin, prior to the Leafs game against the Atlanta Thrashers Saturday night.
"I have to do what feels right in my heart. I just don't think I can go to another team if I don't want to play for another team. That wouldn't be right to myself. That's how I feel right now."
Leafs captain Mats Sundin is weighing his options as Tuesday's NHL trade deadline fast approaches. (Len Redkoles/Getty Images)
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Fletcher met with Sundin on Thursday and again with his agent J.P. Barry of CAA Sports on Friday.
"It's an emotional time," Barry told the Globe and Mail on Friday evening. "In his heart, Mats is and always will be a Toronto Maple Leaf. He doesn't want to leave Toronto.
"Toronto is a wonderful place to live with great fans and an unrivaled hockey tradition. Mats has loved every minute of his time here.
"He needs some time now to reflect upon the request made by the team in order to make a proper decision."
Fletcher denied a television report that stated he asked Sundin for a list of teams to which he would accept a trade.
"It's not an issue of Mats selecting another team or another place, it's an issue of whether or not he would consider moving to another team under any circumstance," Fletcher said.
A list of teams, after all, would limit Fletcher's ability to create a frenzy of offers from interested parties to drive up the price for Sundin. Fletcher was disappointed in what teams were offering for Sundin at the GM meetings in Naples, Fla., this week.
Sundin, 37, doesn't make hasty decisions and this recent development could take the weekend to sort itself out. He has stated all season long that he wants to remain with the Leafs, a team he has been with since June 1994, and had no interest in moving.
The Leafs are nine points out of the playoffs with 20 games remaining. The dire situation, the constant speculation about his future and the criticism for not wanting to be moved has strained Sundin in recent days. Prior to this morning, the last time he made himself available to reporters was after the Leafs beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 at home on Tuesday.
