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Until his number is honoured at the Air Canada Centre, Mats Sundin and the Toronto Maple Leafs will come no closer than they were on Monday, when the Leafs were on the ice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles while their former captain was working out in the area.

The Leafs' new president and general manager, Brian Burke, has no intention of pursuing Sundin now that he is finally in office. Those close to Burke say he is only going through the motions, expressing a token interest in Sundin, because he would rather not offend a large segment of the Leafs' fans in the early days of his regime.

It is clear Sundin does not fit into the Leafs' plans, and it is increasingly clear the Leafs do not fit into his. Sundin's days as a Leaf are finished.

Burke's priority is to sign David Nonis away from the Anaheim Ducks to serve as his right-hand man with the Leafs. If negotiations proceed as expected, Nonis could join the Leafs before their trip ends tomorrow in Phoenix.

Burke gave out conflicting signals about Sundin when he was hired last Saturday. Burke said he was willing to talk to Sundin, but always made sure to mention that in a meeting he had with Sundin a few weeks ago when he was still general manager of the Ducks, Sundin told him he wants to go to a team that has a chance to win the Stanley Cup.

The reason for the mixed message, those close to Burke say, is that he believes there is no place for Sundin with the Leafs. They are in a rebuilding program that will accelerate now that Burke is in charge and have no need for a 37-year-old centre, even if he still can be one of the best players in the league.

What the Leafs need are draft picks, preferably from finishing as low as possible in the standings. If the Leafs signed Sundin, they would go from a team with a shot at one of the top five picks in next year's entry draft to being among the pack bobbing around the last couple of playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Officially, Burke, who flew to San Jose yesterday to join the Leafs on their Western trip, says he will talk to Sundin to determine his intentions and go from there. But there will be no hard sell.

The only way Sundin could return to Toronto is if he and his agent, J.P. Barry, publicly swear a willingness to play for a salary so low that Burke cannot possibly refuse.

But Sundin did not likely spend all this time dithering about his future to sign for half a season for several hundred thousand dollars. As the days wind down, the signals from the Sundin camp are heading in the direction of signing with a serious contender.

Barry said Sundin, who is not doing any media interviews, will continue to skate at an arena in the Los Angeles area and listen to pitches from various NHL teams. In the next two weeks, Barry said, the list of prospective employers will be pared down and a final decision will come "some time in December."