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A sputtering power play seems to have forced the Montreal Canadiens to rekindle their interest in Mats Sundin.

Canadiens GM Bob Gainey met Wednesday with Sundin in California, where the 37-year-old unrestricted free agent has been working out as he decides whether to resume his NHL career.

The meeting is an about-face for Gainey, who had said he no longer had interest in Sundin after the team acquired forwards Robert Lang and Alex Tanguay. In late June, Gainey dealt for the exclusive negotiating rights with Sundin prior to the July 1 free agent deadline, but could not come to an agreement.

The Canadiens, though, have had some offensive struggles of late, including a power play that is ranked 26th in the league at 14.8 per cent entering Thursday’s game against the Ottawa Senators.

Though Sundin hasn’t publicly said he will return to the league, sources tell Hockeycentral if all goes according to plan, he and his agent J.P. Barry will put together a short list of teams in which Sundin has interest, one of which Gainey hopes to be.