Finally NHL betting fans have the announcement they’ve been waiting for.

And the winner of the 2008-2009 Mats Sundin Soap Opera Sweepstakes is…

POKER STARS!

Just kidding. Well, not really. Poker Stars has really milked the Mats ad campaign for all its worth. But the true winner of the Sweepstakes isn’t…quite…decided…yet. We do know (we think) the choice is down to two teams — the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers — and that Mats could make the final call as early as today.

How will a Sundin acquisition affect NHL futures betting? Let’s break down Sundin’s potential impact on the Canucks, Rangers and, most importantly, online sports betting players.

IF SUNDIN CHOOSES VANCOUVER…he’ll lead some NHL betting fans astray — likely die-hard Canucks fans who can’t get it through their spacey, rain-soaked heads that their team is oh-so-overrated. Sure, Mats would have a major Swede connection, joining the Sedin Twins, Mattias Ohlund and Alex Edler. But even adding Mats wouldn’t give the Canucks what they need to beat the NHL odds against juggernauts like San Jose, Detroit or even the emerging Chicago Blackhawks.

Who would Sundin play with? The Sedins? Not so fast. Would Vancouver really shove Henrik to the wing, just like that? And Mats hasn’t played wing since he was a rosy-cheeked Quebec Nordique with a Jofa astronaut helmet. Chances are he’d line up with Pavol Demitra, who couldn’t light the world on fire with Marian Gaborik at his side in Minny, and/or Kyle Wellwood…and how’d that work out last time? Anyone looking to bet online on NHL futures odds shouldn’t let a potential Sundin-to-Vancouver deal affect them. Steer clear of the Canucks.

IF SUNDIN CHOOSES NEW YORK…the situation becomes a bit more interesting. Like the Canucks, the Rangers offer Mats some countryman comfort, with Markus Naslund, Henrik Lundqvist and Fredrik Sjostrom on the roster. New York also has a deeper, more seasoned (and yes, older) forward group consisting of guys who can play multiple positions, like Scott Gomez, Chris Drury and Nikolai Zherdev. Throw Naslund into the mix, likely with Sundin, and the Rangers would have two legit scoring lines. They’d also be a nightmare for other teams in the faceoff circle with both Sundin and Drury taking draws.

NHL betting players shouldn’t go overboard — after all, Mats is 38 and may take a while to get his legs — but they should take a good look at the Rangers Stanley Cup odds. They have the goaltending for a deep playoff run and Mats could make a difference. He wouldn’t make the Broadway Blueshirts a frontrunner by any means, but he’d make things interesting.

IF SUNDIN CHOOSES ANOTHER TEAM…well, he’ll knock everyone’s socks off. And we’ll do this dance again to break down some more NHL futures odds.