OK, I am laying myself at the mercy of Leafs Nation.
I'm putting it on the line and preparing myself for the blue and white onslaught sure to follow.
But I am going on the record right here, right now. Tell your friends. Bookmark this page. And come back on the morning of the 27th and tell me I was wrong.
Marian Hossa is destined to fetch the same sort of return in a trade, if not more, than Mats Sundin at the deadline. Provided, of course, that Sundin lifts that oft-discussed no-trade clause in Toronto.
Yep, you heard it here first. If you listen closely, you can almost hear the collective F-bomb coming from Toronto.
Now before the Leaf faithful have me fitted for a straightjacket, pause from that hate email you are about to send and hear me out.
Let's start with Sundin, who is regarded as perhaps the most lucrative pawn in recent memory at the deadline.
Someone, somewhere, is going to overpay for Sundin if he hits the market. That much is a given. But if Leaf fans are waiting for a package that includes the equivalent of Ducks' prospect Bobby Ryan and their first-round pick via the Oilers courtesy of the Dustin Penner signing, which may turn out to be a top-five pick in an extremely attractive top-heavy draft, they will be waiting a while.
Sorry, Brian Burke may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night.
Referring to the Peter Forsberg trade of a year ago seems to be the "in" thing to do these days. But let's not forget Scotty Upshall, a former sixth pick overall, Ryan Parent (18th) and mid-to-late first and third round picks is a whole lot different than what some feel Sundin will yield.
The Edmonton pick alone has the potential to land a franchise player. Everything starts there.
The Predators rolled the dice with Forsberg, a rental, hoping he could keep his carcass out of the doctor's office and spark them on an extended run. It didn't work out, something rival general managers certainly took note of.
Bobby Ryan may be part of a Sundin package. Heck, that Edmonton pick may even come in to play, but don't count on it.
But both? Not a chance, unless Burke gets knee-deep in a bottle of scotch and decides to pick up his phone.
Which brings us to Hossa.
In the past five seasons, he has a slightly better PPG pace than Sundin, is eight years his junior and is more likely to re-up with the team that trades for him. Sure, Hossa hasn't exactly strapped his team on his back for a long playoff run, but the finger should be pointed in other directions, as well, in Ottawa and, to a lesser extent, Atlanta.
Unless my math is failing me - yet again - Hossa has a .63 PPG pace in the playoffs, compared to Sundins .89, not nearly enough to get either name inscribed on the Conn Smythe trophy.
The question, then, becomes who is likely to help a team both short and long term?
Mats Sundin can help a contending team for the next few months. Marian Hossa can do the same for the next few years and will be a lot easier to coax into an extension.
Something I am sure general managers will take notice of before attempting to swing a deal for either.