Canucks: Selecting the all-decade team of the 2010s

Forwards

Henrik Sedin

Do I really need to give him an intro? Henrik Sedin: The captain of the Vancouver Canucks through some of the brightest moments of the franchise’s history —  including but not limited to two consecutive Presidents’ Trophy seasons.

Alongside brother Daniel, he is a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame when the time comes, and one would be pretty hard-pressed to find anyone who would go against this claim. 1,070 points in the NHL is no small feat, and there are only five active players above him.

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He is fondly remembered for his instant chemistry on the ice with his twin, most notably with the both alongside recent inductee to the Ring of Honour Alex Burrows. But even without the latter, Henrik improved whichever player was on his wing.

It was not just his on-ice achievements which earned him The Canuck Way’s team of the decade honour; it was also his community work around Vancouver.

While there may be a perception that pro athletes have to give back to their adopted communities, Henrik — again alongside Daniel brought this action to an unparalleled level — fully immersing themselves in the tapestry of Vancouver’s well-being.

Whether it was the impact he made on children’s lives through community work, being a crossing guard at his child’s school, or leading the team to the Stanley Cup Final, Henrik was able to do it all. That is why he makes the team of the decade.

-Ben Steiner

Daniel Sedin

While Henrik Sedin was the passer, Daniel Sedin was the goal scorer. He was the Canucks’ best goal scorer of the 2010s, and Daniel is the franchise’s all-time goals leader with 393.

Daniel scored a plethora of memorable goals throughout the decade, including a ridiculous between-the-legs dandy against the Calgary Flames in 2010. He was a huge part of the 2010-11 team that went to the Stanley Cup Final, too.

In the regular season, Daniel scored 41 goals and 63 assists for 104 points to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer. He also won the Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player voted by members of the NHLPA.

In the playoffs, he scored nine goals and 11 assists in 25 playoff games. The biggest was probably the game-tying goal in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins. On Nov. 30, 2017, Daniel became the second Canuck (after Henrik) to score 1,000 points in the NHL.

Daniel is without a doubt the best Canucks’ goal scorer of the 2010s, as well as the greatest goal scorer in their history.

-Joshua Rey

Elias Pettersson

After not even two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, you wouldn’t think Elias Pettersson would be eligible for an all-decade team. But the impact he’s made on this franchise has been unique, so an exception has to be made. From his first laser beam in his first NHL game on his first NHL shot to the many times he’s dazzled us on the ice since then, the season and a half might as well be ten years. That’s how much he’s changed the Canucks’ fortunes for the better.

Before Pettersson began his ascent to generational status, there was legitimate concern about where the next wave of offensive stars would come from. After the Sedins retired, who would lead the team into the next decade?

From the moment he started breaking records in Sweden, fans and media alike knew they had something special, a superstar to lead them into the next era of Canucks hockey. Amid immense pressure, he has risen to every challenge that has been brought before him and has already become a premier threat in the NHL.

Pettersson quickly became a key member of the Canucks in his first month in the big leagues. Head coach Travis Green was enamored by his skill, speed and overall hockey IQ that he placed him with another rising star in Brock Boeser. It didn’t take long for them to develop chemistry with each other and start making plays that only the most seasoned duos execute, like the bank pass from center ice.

That’s just one of many that they have executed over the last season and a half. Since they were put together, they have been practically joined at the hip as one of the most offensively gifted duos in the entire NHL.

To put it simply, Pettersson has changed the landscape of Canucks hockey. He hasn’t even played two full seasons yet, but you could write an essay on his career already. The highlight reel is packed full of elite shots, dekes, passes, shootout moves, smart hockey plays, and even a patented death stare. He has won the Calder Trophy and was in the conversation for the Hart Trophy.

Whether you call him Petey, the Alien, the Swedish Gretzky or just Elias, he has become an icon in a city that desperately needed one after the Sedins retired. Bo Horvat may be the captain, but it will be Pettersson leading the new core into the next decade. Despite only playing in less than two years of this past decade, he is deserving of this spot on the all-decade team. So let’s all join in, and walk with Elias.

-Matthew Zator