Next to the seemingly endless guessing game over Mats Sundin's future and if it involves the Maple Leafs the biggest question involving the club, in the eyes of Toronto fans and media, is what the future holds for defenseman Bryan McCabe.

Leafs management has apparently decided that McCabe's $5.75 million per season contract is too hefty for the club to continue carrying. GM Cliff Fletcher asked McCabe if he'd waive his movement clause last February but the veteran blueliner refused, and according to reports over the off-season continues in his attempts to convince McCabe to do so.

The problem for the Leafs is that as long as McCabe wants to be a Maple Leaf there's nothing they can do to prevent him from doing so.

Suggestions of keeping him out of the lineup, by cutting his ice time, banishing him to the press box or telling him not to report to the club quite frankly aren't wise options for the Leafs, as it could invite legal challenges from the NHL Players Association, which quite frankly is the last thing this rebuilding franchise needs.

Engaging in a smear campaign, publicly running him and his performance down, or trying to stir up fan discontent will only cast the Leafs organization into the kind of bad light not seen since the dark days of Harold Ballard's ownership.

It's not McCabe's fault that his contract is now unworkable for the Maple Leafs. They made the offer, granted, it was Fletcher's predecessor who made it, but it had the full blessing of the team's ownership, and he accepted in good faith.

The best Fletcher can do is to continue trying to convince McCabe to move if certain teams that could be of interest to the veteran defenseman and hope that he accepts, and to respect McCabe's decision if he wants to remain in Toronto.

Some fans and pundits probably won't like that decision, and will try to paint him as selfish, the exact same kind of slurs that were undeservedly heaped upon Sundin last February.

McCabe isn't being selfish if he wants to stay in Toronto, indeed, to put up with that kind of disparaging nonsense, particularly after seeing how Sundin was treated, suggests the blueliner has more class and character than his critics.

But if he decides he doesn't need the abuse and agrees to move on, who could blame him after the lousy way he's been treated?

Either way, this doesn't reflect well on the Maple Leafs organization.