Since the Canucks have admitted they’re a rebuilding team, it’s easy to already be looking ahead to the trade deadline. The Canucks have a small handful of pending unrestricted free agents that could potentially be moved at the deadline to acquire prospects and picks to aid in the rebuilding efforts.
The most obvious is Thomas Vanek, who the Canucks just signed to a one-year deal. With some time on the top line and power play, he should pick up enough points to make him attractive to a playoff team. Likewise, Erik Gudbranson’s one-year deal ends in unrestricted free agency, and the Canucks could decide to move on from the sizeable defenceman.
Then there is Daniel and Henrik Sedin.
The two greatest Canucks of all time — the franchise leaders in games played, goals, assists, points, and more — are entering the final year of their identical $7 million contracts. There have been calls to trade the Sedins this season from all corners: from national outlets like The Hockey News and Puck Daddy to those more local.
Jim Benning has made it clear that he has no plans to trade the Sedins, but last year he said that he wouldn’t ask players with no-trade clauses to waive them, then did exactly that. It’s hard to take Benning at his word on this topic.
With all that in mind, the topic of trading the Sedins could have become a season-long storyline, with every tumble down the standings leading to more questions of both Benning and the Sedins. It could have seriously coloured what might be the Sedins’ final NHL season.
Instead, the Sedins got out ahead of the story, publishing a letter with The Players’ Tribune that makes it absolutely clear: the Sedins aren’t going anywhere.
We won’t play anywhere else. If we are going to win a Stanley Cup, if we are going to achieve our dream, we’d only want it to be in Vancouver. If we did it anywhere else, I don’t think it would feel the same.
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If we’re going to win a Cup, we only want it to be with Vancouver – that will never change. And if the moment has come and passed already, then so be it. This is my home. This is our home. This is our family’s home. Vancouver has given us so much and we’ve tried to give everything we have in return.
I encourage you to read the entire letter, but be warned: have some onions on hand to cut so that you have an excuse for why you’re crying.
It’s interesting to see that the Sedins didn’t truly feel like they belonged in the NHL until the post-lockout year when they lined up alongside Anson Carter. For the first time, they felt like their style of play could actually work in the NHL and they could become elite players. Apparently, they were already contemplating returning to Sweden before that season with Carter changed everything.
But clearly the point of the letter is to squash any potential trade rumours, giving the Sedins the chance to simply play hockey. It’s clear because they also get out ahead of another storyline: the “When will they re-sign” storyline.
As pending UFAs, there will be questions about whether this is the Sedins’ final year or if they will re-sign for another season or two. So the Sedins simply said that they will wait to make any decision until the season is over.
We’re going to take this year to work hard and build something special with the young guys around us. And when it ends, we’ll see where we’re at and what we want to do.
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We’re going to take this year and appreciate everything about it, and never look too far ahead. Who knows, we might have a few more years left in us. Maybe we need to speak with Jagr.
Overall, it’s a savvy move by the Sedins publishing this letter now. It reaffirms their connection to the city and people of Vancouver. It tells the story of their careers in their own words. And it completely kills the aggravating trade and contract storylines that could have plagued this season.
