The club most likely to acquire Mats Sundin from the Maple Leafs is — wait for it — the Vancouver Canucks.
This, at least, is according to www.beted.com, a gaming site that has produced an eyebrow-raising assortment of NHL trade-deadline props for wagering purposes. The site lists the Canucks as 2-to-1 favourites to obtain the Toronto captain before next Tuesday’s deadline.
Following the Canucks on beted.com’s list of Sundin head-hunters are the Anaheim Ducks, at 2.5-to-1, the Calgary Flames, at 4-to-1, the San Jose Sharks, at 5-to-1, the Dallas Stars, at 6-to-1, and the Ottawa Senators, at 10-to-1.
A good bet on the Sundin prop, perhaps, would be “the field.” Those who wager on Sundin to be dealt to the field — consisting of every team not mentioned above — would receive odds of 15-to-1. Keep in mind that the Detroit Red Wings strongly covet Sundin. Ditto for the New York Rangers, seeking an established linemate for Jaromir Jagr.
Oh, and by the way, the site’s odds are 5-to-1 that Sundin won’t be traded — also not bad, considering he’s been insisting he won’t waive his no-trade right.
Check out www.beted.com, incidentally, to see the odds on trades for Rob Blake, Marian Hossa, Olli Jokinen, and others. The site lists Calgary as Jokinen’s probable destination.
•So the Baby Boss of the New York Yankees, Hank Steinbrenner, has declared that NFL steroid users outnumber MLB steroid users by a 2-to-1 margin. Question: HOW THE HELL WOULD HE KNOW? … The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are getting rave reviews as training camps open, but can they improve with Eric Hinske at third base? Hinske was last seen at the hot corner in 2005, in Toronto, where he was poor. The Rays, though, think it may be wiser to use Hinske at third than to rush super-prospect Evan Longoria … Slugger Ryan Howard is scheduled to face the Philadelphia Phillies in a salary-arbitration hearing today. He wants $10 million US, meaning the sides are $7 million apart.
•In the CFL, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers can’t re-sign their backup quarterback and 2007 Grey Cup starter, Ryan Dinwiddie, because they’re, ahem, $15,000 apart. Such is life in the CFL … Isn’t it odd that the Montreal Alouettes signed cornerback Tay Cody on the weekend when he’s already under contract to Florida in the fledgling All-American Football League? … And NFL star Jason Taylor will become the first active football player and largest participant in TV’s Dancing With The Stars. The program revealed yesterday that the 6-foot-6, 255-pound Miami Dolphin has agreed to compete in its next series.
Marty York
In three-plus decades as a columnist and broadcaster, Marty York has built a network of solid contacts and a renowned reputation for his hard-hitting, groundbreaking style. The tradition continues in Metro Sports.
