Eriksson on Sedins: ‘we play the same way’

Photo Credit:Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports

Henrik Sedin is usually the set-up man, but it sounds like Daniel Sedin earned an assist in luring Loui Eriksson to Vancouver as a free agent. Eriksson picked Daniel’s brain on all things Canuck during a telephone conversation on Thursday before putting his signature on a six-year $36-million dollar contract when the National Hockey League signing window opened Friday morning.

“I had a chance to talk to Daniel yesterday and he told me all the good things about Vancouver and what a great city it is,” Eriksson said on a conference call from his summer home in Sweden. “ I played with Daniel and Henrik in the World Championship (2013) and we played pretty good together when we played on the same line. It was nice to hear from him and hear what he had to say about Vancouver. Everything sounded great. “

Eriksson confirmed he had other suitors for his services, but throughout the process Vancouver remained near the top of his list. He turned down a four-year offer to stay in Boston, where he scored 30 goals for the Bruins last season. The soon-to-be 31-year-old admitted the lure of testing the free agent waters was just too much to pass up at this stage of his career knowing that he could get the type of term he was seeking from the Bruins.

“It was important to me,” he said of the security of a six-year pact. “I wanted to get five or six years. I have a big family and have worked really hard through all the years playing in the NHL. Boston was interested in having me too. I’ve never been in this situation before and it felt like when I talked to Vancouver, they showed real interest in me. Me and my family had a good feeling about Vancouver and that helped in the decision.”

The fact the Canucks had an opening on the right side of the top line certainly factored into Eriksson’s choice as well. He spoke at length Friday about his familiarity with the Sedins and how well the trio played together helping Sweden win the World Championship on home ice three springs ago. A left-handed shot, Eriksson will slot into the right side with the Sedins and should immediately offer the Canucks a scoring surge at even strength and will be expected to give a lacklustre power play a boost, as well.

“They’re such smart players,” he said of the Sedins. “It was kind of easy for me when I first played with them to get chemistry because we kind of play the same way: we give the puck and get it back from each other. Maybe the first couple of games it was more of a learning process to see how they played and how they were thinking. We seemed to match when played together especially in the World Championship in 2013 when we won it, we came together real well. Hopefully, we can keep playing like we did during that time.”

Eriksson may get a jump start on rekindling his connection with the Sedins ahead of his first season in Vancouver. All three will be counted on to produce for Sweden in September’s World Cup and Eriksson figures he’s like to be reunited with the twins in that tournament. If all goes well, the chemistry will carry over into regular season play when the Canucks open their season on October 15th.

“I think we will play in the World Cup,” he said. “We’ll see what the head coach of the national team will do. That will definitely help and if we can do that maybe we’ll have an advantage in the beginning of the season.”

Eriksson’s familiarity with the Canucks organization runs deeper than his ties to Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Jim Benning was part of the Boston management group that acquired him in a deal that sent Tyler Seguin to the Lone Star State. While in Dallas early in his career, Eriksson spent two seasons with Willie Desjardins then an assistant coach with the Stars. He says he has nothing but fond memories of working with Desjardins and looks forward to playing for him in Vancouver.

“He seems like a really smart coach,” Eriksson said. “I remember you can definitely learn a lot from him when he was the assistant in Dallas. I really liked him as an assistant coach. I talked to Daniel about him, too, and they seem to really like him as well. It’ll be nice to come there and see him as a head coach and see what he can bring and what kind of system he wants everyone to play. He has really good qualities of doing good things.”

Eriksson knows, however, that Desjardins and the Canucks have plenty of work cut out of them after a forgettable season. He hopes he can be part of the solution for a team that finished 29th in the NHL in offense.

“It was definitely a tough year for them last year,” he added. “I know they had some players who were injured and that didn’t help. But I think they can have a good team and I talked to Willie about the team and I think everyone is really looking forward to the season to start again and get something good going. Of course, it’s going to be a building thing, but hopefully we can come together as a team and play really well. You never know in this league how things will go because there are so many good teams. All we can do is come in and be really prepared for the season that’s coming.”

On Friday, Eriksson said all the right things about the team that is paying him handsomely over the next six seasons. Starting in October, he’ll have the chance to let his actions on the ice speak for themselves.