Vancouver Canucks: Sedins’ Decline a Blessing in Disguise
By Alex Hoegler
Even though it’s rather depressing to see Daniel and Henrik Sedin reach the twilight of their careers, it’s leading to many positives for the Vancouver Canucks
There’s a common cliche in sports. It goes like this: “Father time is undefeated”. No professional athlete is immune to beating it, and the so-called Fountain of Youth for athletes is only in human imagination. Unfortunately for Vancouver Canucks twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin, we’re slowly witnessing the end of the line for two remarkable careers.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Most 36-year-old forwards aren’t near the top in team scoring, and the twins have been this team’s best pair of forwards since 2005-06. They’ve been asked to log heavy minutes this season (Daniel 18:39 per game, Henrik 19:26) and don’t have 2010 Alexandre Burrows to play with anymore.
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Even though both Daniel and Henrik could hit the 50-point mark this season (and that’s a big ‘if’), there’s no turning back the clock this season. When you watch the games, you can see both men aren’t able to cycle the puck and get open like they used to be. Opposing defencemen can now read their minds and wear out their ageing bodies much more quickly.
It’s also not very often where something good comes out of seeing your two franchise icons succumb to father time. But the Vancouver Canucks are an exception, not the rule.
With the Sedins struggling, it has opened the door for 2013 first-round pick Bo Horvat to emerge as the franchise’s new No. 1 centre. It’s also allowed former Calgary Flames first-rounder Sven Baertschi to show signs of being a legitimate top-line winger.
Horvat leads the team in goals (13), and points (29). Keep in mind he’s the third-line centre behind Henrik and Brandon Sutter. Meanwhile, Baertschi is second in goals (11), and tied for third in team scoring (23).
At some point, head coach Willie Desjardins will have to move Horvat and Baertschi to the top line. In April of last season, president Trevor Linden told TSN 1040 that the Canucks “had to get to a point where the Sedins are (their) the second line.”
The stats don’t lie in that Horvat and Baertschi are a better fit than Daniel and Henrik to play on the top line. Once Desjardins promotes them, Linden will have had his 2016 wish fulfilled.
For a team that’s refused to commit on a long-term rebuilding project, the Canucks should feel blessed that they already have successors to their franchise stars. Promising prospects Jake Virtanen and Brock Boeser haven’t even cracked the full-time roster yet.
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Perhaps the emergences of Horvat and Baertschi will make the Canucks realize it’s time to move on from veterans and get younger. It’s not impossible to think they can compete should they trade the Sedins and load up on young assets.
With the Sedin twins showing their age once and for all, it’s allowed the team to find their new young guns to build the franchise around. After so much misery over the past three seasons, Vancouver Canucks fans can finally feel comfortable in watching the guys who’ll carry the torch from the Sedins.