Vancouver Canucks: Need the Sedins to play next year

VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 2: Henrik Sedin
VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 2: Henrik Sedin

Though the Sedin twins haven’t confirmed if they’ll play beyond this season, they’ve shown that there’s plenty of hockey left in their tanks. As such, it’d be a tough blow for the Canucks if they leave after this summer.

The Vancouver Canucks aren’t going to make the playoffs in 2018, so the focus has shifted to the futures of key roster players. Erik Gudbranson should be as good as gone at the trade deadline. Thomas Vanek? To be determined.

As for Daniel and Henrik Sedin, pure logic suggests they sign new contracts and play in Vancouver next year. Given their respective ages (they’ll be 38 in the fall), the new deals would probably only be for a year each.

Each twin is on pace to surpass the 50-point mark this season, and they’ve continued to provide tremendous leadership for the rebuilding Canucks. We all know the front office would welcome them back in a heartbeat, but the Sedins have yet to confirm their future plans.

“I don’t know if (the decision) is going to be easy, but I think we’re going to feel what we want to do. We’re both guys that when we make a decision, that’s just the way it is. You’ve got to live with it,” Henrik said, according to Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet.

Before this season started, the Sedins penned a letter entitled “Dear Vancouver” for The Players’ Tribune. They reiterated that they do not want to play anywhere else but Vancouver, even if it means not winning a Stanley Cup.

More from The Canuck Way

And it’s hard to imagine that the front office would force the Sedins to leave.

General manager Jim Benning has never tried trading them, and president Trevor Linden knows how much they mean to the city. If the twins were to play elsewhere, it would have happened by now.

So that means it’s Vancouver or retirement for the twins.  The Canucks won’t force Daniel and Henrik to come back next year, but they sure as heck better hope for it.

Just look at this team. The Canucks are in play to finish dead last in the standings this year. And this is despite a tremendous showing from rookie Brock Boeser and the ageless Sedins. Take them out of the equation, and you can only wonder how much more this ship would sink.

Both twins have stayed remarkably healthy throughout their careers. They’ve never based their games on speed, but with great puck possession, play-making and the ability to read the play. As such, they could easily produce as effective forwards for two or three more years.

The Sedins are terrific leaders. They’re helping Boeser and Bo Horvat become the next faces of the franchise. They’re trying to help Jake Virtanen unleash all of his potential. And they remain as humble as ever, even though this team has been a mess for the better part of the last five years.

If the Sedins retire this year, the Canucks are devoid of two quality top-six forwards, and without veteran leadership. You can only imagine the consequences. The front office could totally panic and throw two more Loui Eriksson-esque contracts in free agency, desperately trying to replace them. That seems like an unlikely scenario, but you never know with this group.

Next: Canucks should explore trading Jacob Markstrom

The Canucks simply have to hope that Henrik and Daniel opt to come back for another year. This team needs their talent and leadership as they build for the future. If they shock the world and retire this offseason, then the painful life of being a Canucks fan will just get even harder.