STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Mats Sundin has denied rumors that he has accepted a two-year, $20 million offer from the Vancouver Canucks, saying he will make a decision on his future within weeks.
The longtime Toronto Maple Leafs captain told Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet that other options remain on the table.
"It's not at all true that I've signed for Vancouver. I haven't even decided whether I should keep playing hockey yet," Sundin was quoted as saying in an interview published Monday.
Sundin, one of the top forwards still available on the NHL free-agent market, said he would make a decision on his future next month or as early as next week.
"If I play it's going to be for the entire season. That means I would be there at the start, when the training camp begins," he said.
He called Vancouver's offer "flattering."
"If you're a professional hockey player then the money is part of the picture ahead of making a decision," he said. "But there are other things that matter. If it was just the money then I would have already signed for Vancouver."
He didn't rule out remaining with the Maple Leafs.
"Nothing has been ruled out. I got a very good offer from them, too, and also from Montreal," he said. "But Vancouver's contract was in a class of its own if you look at the money."
The Canucks are looking for a replacement for Markus Naslund, its former captain, who signed for the New York Rangers.
Sundin, 37, said he feels strongly for Toronto after 13 seasons in the club.
"It feels like home. But let's see. I haven't gotten as far as thinking about clubs yet," he said.
The Swede won an Olympic gold medal with his country in 2006, but doesn't expect to defend the title at the Vancouver Olympics.
"It's very doubtful that I would play another Olympic tournament," Sundin said. "You should never say never, but it feels like a very remote idea."
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