With the 2008 NHL trade deadline fast approaching, rumors are flying fast and furious over which players might get traded, many of them centering around Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin.

The Leafs are clearly in rebuild mode, having fired John Ferguson Jr as general manager, bringing back Cliff Fletcher as interim GM whilst searching for a permanent replacement, and fielding offers for some of their better - and expensive - veteran players.

Sundin tops the list, and for good reason, for despite his age (37) he's still considered among the league's top centers, currently on pace for an 82 point season, all the more noteworthy considering he's achieved that on one of the NHL worst teams.

He's also an unrestricted free agent but that won't hurt his trade value, as there's likely several teams willing to pay big for Sundin's services, even if only as a playoff rental.

But there's one thing standing in the way, Sundin's no-trade clause and his persistent refusal to waive it to facilitate a trade.

Now it's possible that Sundin could change his mind by the deadline, but if we take the Leafs captain at his word, he has no intention of doing so.

Such loyalty to a franchise, particularly one that hasn't been to the Stanley Cup finals in 41 years, is commendable.

Other star veterans have left their long-time teams for an opportunity to play for a Cup contender, most notably Boston Bruins legend Ray Bourque in 2000 when he requested a trade to the Colorado Avalanche.

Nobody faulted Bourque for doing so, indeed, he was applauded for his long years of service with the Bruins and is still highly thought of by Bruins fans, who didn't begrudge his desire to play elsewhere for a Stanley Cup.

But apparently for Sundin, playing for a Cup contender isn't as important as being a Maple Leaf.

One would think he would be applauded for his loyalty, instead, he's being criticized and vilified by some pundits and fans.

His critics suggest he's merely being selfish for not agreeing to a trade, that he's not putting the needs of the Leafs above his own, that he's seriously hurting the franchise's attempt for a strong start to their rebuilding program.

His refusal is being considered a prime example of how a player with a "no-trade/movement" clause can hold a team hostage and handcuff their efforts to rebuild.

These criticisms however are baseless and silly, petty carping by disgruntled followers of a so-called hockey institution seeking any scapegoat for the second-longest active Stanley Cup drought in NHL history.

Mats Sundin doesn't owe the Leafs anything. He's given everything to this team that they've always needed since he joined them in the summer of 1994 in a trade with the then-Quebec Nordiques.

He was behind the eight-ball in the eyes of Leafs fans upon his arrival, as team management had parted with beloved captain Wendal Clark as part of the deal for Sundin.

His leadership during the late 1990s was questioned, especially after he was made team captain in 1997after Doug Gilmour, another popular Leafs captain, departed.

The criticism was always worse in the playoffs, for despite the obvious shortcomings of the club from year to year he often was unfairly burdened with the blame for not carrying the Leafs further.

He's led the Leafs in scoring every year but one since the 1994-95 season, he's the Leafs all-time leading goal-scorer and points leader and second all time in assists, yet faced criticism that he "never took his game to the next level".

His toughness was questioned, despite playing through injuries that would put lesser players on the sidelines.

Darryl Sittler, Wendal Clark and Doug Gilmour are considered icons for Toronto Maple Leaf fans, yet none of them led the Leafs in scoring as often as Sundin, and none of them had any better success getting the Leafs to the Cup Finals than Sundin.

So why doesn't Sundin get the respect he deserves? It wouldn't be because he's a Swede and not a "good Canadian boy" like Darryl, Wendal and Dougie, would it?

Who knows, but Sundin never conjures up the same reverence amongst Leafs fans as Sittler, Clark and Gilmour.

It's one thing to face those criticisms and complaints, but in the hothouse atmosphere of Toronto, that kind of pressure would break most players.

Not Sundin. Through it all, he was consistently the Maple Leafs best player, both in the regular season and the playoffs. The Leafs could find no better representative.

He faced the media even after blowout losses, which over the last two seasons there's been more of. He's been through all the highs and lows and carried himself with class. He's never sulked, never pouted, never tried to blame others.

And now, he's getting dumped on because he doesn't want to be traded.

Loyalty is supposed to be a two-way street, but obviously it's only one way for some Toronto fans and pundits.

I don't blame the Leafs management for considering the possibility of moving Sundin as part of their rebuilding program. It's a business decision. I think Fletcher and his predecessor have handled this well, not belittling Sundin or trying to force him into accepting a trade.

All Sundin is doing is upholding his part of his contract, which he and his agent negotiated in good faith with the Maple Leafs. The clause was included, not as window dressing, but as a means of assuring Sundin peace of mind, to ensure he would remain in the only city he wanted to play hockey.

No one should be shocked if he decides to exercise that right.

Considering the Leafs erratic trade record in recent years and the salary cap, there's no guarantee that Fletcher can land the kind of return that so many fans and pundits hope he can get. If Sundin wants to stay, then why not stop wasting time trying to trade him and focus instead on re-signing him?

After all, it's not as though top free agents are stampeding to Toronto anymore, in part because of the salary cap but also because of the team's mediocrity and the unrealistic expectations of the fan base. Keeping Sundin, a star who actually wants to be a Maple Leaf, might be a better option.

Leafs management has every right to ask him to waive it, and he has every right to refuse.

Despite it all, he's being ripped as selfish, spoiled, unworthy to be a Maple Leaf despite all he's done and continues to do for the franchise.

Some are calling for the Leafs to "play hardball" with Sundin, to strip him of the captaincy and tell him he'll never play in Toronto again so he might as well waive the clause right now. In short, force him out of Toronto.

Yeah, that's a great idea. The Maple Leafs already are garnering a reputation as a mismanaged franchise, let's also make it known as a franchise that doesn't appreciate its stars. What a great way to attract and retain talent.

For all Sundin has done for the Maple Leafs, he's earned the right to decide if he'll stay or go.