| | The Matchup: Steve Yzerman vs. Mats Sundin
The Question: Who is the better center right now?
Steve Yzerman
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Mats Sundin
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Yzerman's Cup-winning experience sets him apart
You're dealing with two very different players here. Sundin is about five inches taller, about 40 pounds heavier and about five years younger. Those are very substantial differences. Sundin is in his prime (he turned 29 next month), while Yzerman is admittedly in his last couple years (he'll be 35 on May 9).
Sundin uses his size extremely well and is one of the truly gifted players in the world. He has great hands and vision. Ever since he's been in the league, he's shown that he can dominate games. Over the years, he's started to acquire the knowledge of what it takes to succeed down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Toronto going as far as it did last year gave him the experience he needed to get to the next level. There is no substitute for going deep in the playoffs, and that is the one thing experience-wise Sundin has lacked compared to Yzerman.
Yzerman had to wait a long time to get his Stanley Cup, and his game changed dramatically from the early years. Craig Hartsburg (Anaheim's coach) brought up an interesting point: he's been using Yzerman as an example for Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya this year about how to play every night. Hartsburg's point was that Yzerman wasn't difficult to play against every night earlier in his career. But he is now. He's mentally tougher and his game is just more complete. He's one of the most well-rounded players in the league and he doesn't show many signs of slowing down.
Going back to the difference in age, the last five years that Yzerman has played have made all the difference in his career. There is absolutely no substitute for the experience of winning. Scotty Bowman showed Yzerman what he needed to do for the team to be successful, and Yzerman was willing to make the changes. It's hard for a lot of guys to go from being prolific scorers to having people question why you aren't scoring 120 points a year. But Steve bought into the program and that's what led him to become the player he is today.
Mats sometimes gets knocked for not being a great leader, but that is overstated. I've heard a lot of good things about him, and I know the Leafs like him a lot. You don't have to be a Mark Messier type to be a good leader. I think the final step Sundin needs is to get the experience of playing in the finals and winning a Cup.
A guy like Sundin is looking at Yzerman and using him as an example of how a superstar player changed and modified his career to win a Stanley Cup. Both these guys are terrific examples of how to be a star player in the league. But Yzerman outshines most over the last few years because success is what sets you apart.
Brian Engblom is a color commentator and analyst for ESPN's NHL coverage. He played 11 seasons in the NHL. | |
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