What They’re Saying: The Sedin Era Nearing its End
By Vanessa Jang
7 years agoReading that title, those are words that every Canucks fan dreads. Daniel and Henrik Sedin turn 36 in just a few days, an age where most NHL players would have already called it quits. The twins are a rare breed, not only playing as part of the 35+ club but succeeding too.
Their point production has yet to fall, and what they lack in speed, they make up for with elite hockey sense. The two recently spoke with Sportsnet’s Mark Spector in what Canucks fans may find to be a somber interview.
As the Sedins enter their 16th NHL season, one cannot help but feel bad that Stanley Cup is missing from their chest of awards. Back in 2011, Daniel said, “You have to win the Stanley Cup to be anything.” They have the Art Ross, Hart Memorial, Ted Lindsay, and King Clancy, but if you ask any professional hockey player, the Cup is the most meaningful. Regardless of how decorated a player may be, the dream has always been to raise that championship trophy.
Daniel Sedin: “We haven’t won. If you want to look back and say you had a great career, you’ve got to win the Stanley Cup. Vancouver – we are heading up again, I think. In today’s NHL, one or two young players come in and can help. It can change everything.”
Henrik Sedin: “[We have] played with great teams. Still haven’t been able to win, but still trying. We were close to winning [in 2011]. That’s the only thing we’re missing. A lot of people think we’re years away; we’re not that far away”
As they get older, the window to win gets significantly smaller; some may even say it has already closed. Nonetheless, the twins have remained optimistic, expressing their confidence in Jim Benning’s approach to building a playoff-contending team.
In the NHL, you do not see many top-line forwards over the age of 35, but that can be seen as both a positive and a negative. First, it shows just how persistent and steady the Sedins are. Despite their age, they are still considered to be part of the NHL’s best. Over the past few seasons, the expectation was that their careers would begin to decline. Clearly that has not been the case, and the twins come in each year more prepared than ever. However, the fact that the two have been the Canucks’ top line for ten years straight also speaks greatly of the lack of star power that was drafted and developed in previous years. Things would be remarkably different if the Canucks were able to develop NHL players in the pre-Jim Benning era. To put it nicely, the 2006-2011 drafts were abysmal.
However, the past is in the past, and now it is up to Jim Benning and his reputable scouting background to make the necessary repairs. The Sedins were 25 years-old when they established themselves as top-line forwards in 2006, and they can only do it for so much longer. Fast forward to present day, who’s next?
Henrik Sedin: “That’s what we want, for guys to push us. Maybe force us to be a second line. That’s the only way we can succeed as a team. No one would be happier if that happened to us.”
Daniel Sedin: “If guys are going to take our ice time, they’re going to have to be really good. We’ve been the top line for a few years. If someone wants to take [that job], they’re going to have to fight for it.”
There is no sugar-coating the fact that a team’s first line has to be very, very good. The players must be able to compete amongst the NHL’s elite; they need to have shown ongoing consistency, and point-production must be top-tier. Bo Horvat has certainly displayed No.1 centre potential, and he has expressed his hopes to become that player one day. Brock Boeser could also turn out to be a steal where the Canucks selected him at 23rd overall.
With all the media talk about the Canucks’ window being completely closed, some believe that it may be best to trade the Sedins to a cup-contending team. The twins have two years left on their $7M per year contract; that means one thing: 2017-2018 will be a crucial year for both. Whether they decide to re-sign in Vancouver or walk away to a top-tier club, the Canucks’ future will be impacted heavily. Should they choose to re-sign, their leadership and mentorship will be an invaluable asset for the rest of the team. Should they choose to leave, it will mark the end of their incredible careers in Vancouver.
Henrik Sedin: “If we’re going to win, we’re going to win in Vancouver. That’s the only option, but who knows? We’re not going to stay if we can’t help the team, or if they don’t want us. Who knows what happens? If they don’t want us there, then we’ve got to make a decision. We’re not going to retire because we don’t want to play for another team.”
Henrik on their post-retirement life: “If you’d have asked us 10 years ago, I would have said we would move back [to Sweden]. Ask me now, and I think we’re leaning towards staying in Vancouver. We’re been there now [for] 17 years almost, and we were in Sweden for 18 years.”
I would be hard-pressed to think of a situation where Trevor Linden would not want to keep the Sedins in the organization. He is well aware of the impact that the brothers have had on the organization, as well as the city of Vancouver.
The 1999 NHL Draft was one to forget – at least for every team not named the Vancouver Canucks (and Detroit, too). The twins have said it themselves that they expected to be drafted to different teams. Their careers, as well as the Canucks organization, would be completely different if it were not for Brian Burke’s relentless pursuit in obtaining the 2nd and 3rd-overall picks. Who would have thought that those 18 year-old twins playing for MODO would end up being the best players in franchise history?
The two have taken beatings, both physically and verbally, and they’ve put up with with the obnoxious antics of fans around the league. They have battled through injuries that were unknown to the public, and they have remained optimistic about the team’s future – even when others believe otherwise. They have become staples in the community, and Henrik’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy does not come close to justifying the selflessness of the Sedin families. I may be biased, but I do not believe that there is another player in the NHL who has the combination of elite skill, humbleness, benevolence, and leadership that the Sedin twins possess.
Not only were they superstars on the ice, they were role models off the ice, too. Will we ever see a Sedin-like pair of twins on our team again? The chances are slim to none. To put it simply, they are truly a unique and extraordinary duo. Without hesitation, their careers are ones for the books. As their retirement slowly approaches, the only thing we can do is sit back and take in what is left in their playing career. Obviously give them a few seasons, but time will fly by and the moment will come when Vancouver must begin the next chapter: The Post-Sedin Era.
Source
Recent articles from Vanessa Jang
