There's no doubt that the Canucks will be a better team when the veteran arrives, but his age and a lengthy layoff raise questions

Although the midseason injection of Mats Sundin to the Vancouver Canucks lineup will surely make the hockey club considerably better, the 37-year-old free agent alone doesn't instantly turn the Canucks into Stanley Cup contenders. Then again, the Canucks can't win the Cup in late December or early January, so Sundin has some time on his side to perform the miracle expected of him by a fan base whose expectations are sure to go through the roof of GM Place.

Although in the twilight of his career, there is still no question that Sundin brings an impressive array of skills and talents to an already solid hockey club. But it's too much for anyone to think that this guy-this one guy who hasn't played a game at the highest level of hockey since March 29-is going to step in right away and carry the Canucks on his shoulders. (Besides, that's Roberto Luongo's job, when he's healthy.)

Without Sundin-and, for the past month, Luongo-the Canucks have demonstrated an ability to hold their own in the Northwest Division and Western Conference standings. But right now it's hard to imagine any other team in the league shaking in its collective boots at the thought of facing the Canucks in a best-of-seven playoff series. However, all that might change with the Sundin signing, the eventual return of Luongo, and the addition of perhaps one more offensive player through a trade. But Sundin is the wild card in all of this, and he must step in and perform to repay Canuck management for the faith they've shown in him, not to mention the $5.6 million they've put in his wallet.

“Personally, I'm very excited to get to compete again against the best players in the world,” Sundin said in a conference call from Sweden the day after he signed the one-year contract. “I definitely know it's not a perfect situation. It's going to be a challenge to push myself to make sure I'm in the absolute best shape I can be in, and that's something I'm going to have to work on right away. I hope I can come in and be a part of what the Vancouver Canucks have been doing so far this year.”

Hockey history shows that one of the toughest things for any player to do is start a season without the benefit of training camp or a handful of exhibition games-whether because of injury, indecision, or otherwise. Professional athletes need to get their timing down, and even a seasoned veteran like Sundin is bound to find out that it's tough to perform at his best nightly against players who have been immersed in the game since early October.

And although Sundin immediately shoots to the top of the team's list of talented players-the kind of player expected to make those around him better-even he is bound to require a period of adjusting to his new team and city.

But his addition to a mediocre power play should make the Canucks considerably more dangerous with the man advantage, and in today's NHL a power-play goal is often the difference between winning and losing. Over the past eight seasons, Sundin has totalled 88 power-play goals, reaching double digits six times during that span.

Another area in which Sundin's addition should make the Canucks better is in shootouts. Lifetime, he's 10 for 24 (41 percent), and is joining a team that has won just one of four shootouts so far this season and only seven of the last 20. There is a valuable point in the standings up for grabs every time a game goes beyond overtime, and suddenly, with Sundin in the lineup, the Canucks' chances of winning more of those bonus points has increased dramatically.

If Sundin can help the Canucks secure home-ice advantage for a playoff round or two, it may be enough to put them on the path to a long run in the postseason-a place Sundin hasn't been since the spring of 2004.

“To pick a team that's going to win the Stanley Cup is impossible. I think the Canucks have a team that's going to compete, play in the playoffs, and I'm very excited to be a part of that team,” Sundin said. “Who knows what's going to happen when the playoffs start? I'm thrilled about getting the chance to play again.”

When the Canucks announced the Sundin signing, the team had played 32 of its 82 games this season-Daniel Sedin led the club with 14 goals and 32 points. Last year in Toronto at the 32-game mark, Sundin had scored 16 goals and picked up 40 points. So, in effect, the Canucks are hoping they're adding a guy who's better than any offensive player they've got.

How quickly he can step in and how much he can contribute remain up in the air. Certainly, there's an organization and an entire city that can hardly wait to find out. And though Sundin has yet to play a game for them, there's no question the Vancouver Canucks are a much better hockey team than they were a week ago. But now that Sundin is here, the real question is how much better can they be in April, May, and maybe even June?

Jeff Paterson is a sportscaster and talk-show host on Vancouver's all-sports radio, Team 1040. E-mail him at jeff.paterson@team1040.ca.