Yesterday we started our "best and worst week" at The Canuck Way and FanSided NHL by going over the top five Vancouver Canucks jerseys of all time. In part two of the series, we will dive into the top five players of all time.
When trying to figure out the five best players for a franchise that is 56 years old, there will be some greats who will miss out. If you think we missed someone, please let us know! We here at The Canuck Way love to have discussions surrounding the Canucks. That said, who made it onto the latest top five list?
5. Roberto Luongo
For the number five spot, it was a toss-up between Roberto Luongo, Kirk McLean, and Markus Näslund. All three deserve a spot in the top five list, especially with the guys who will take spots one through four. But in the end, Luongo sneaks in at the fifth slot.
Luongo spent eight seasons with the Canucks from 2006-07 to 2013-14, when he was traded to the Florida Panthers. Over those eight seasons, he finished with a 252-137-50 record, along with a .919 save percentage (SV%), a 2.36 goals-against average (GAA), 38 shutouts, and 10 assists in 448 games (443 starts).
During the playoffs in Vancouver, he went 32-31 with a .918 SV%, 2.54 GAA, and five shutouts in 64 games (62 starts). Luongo was in the crease during the Canucks' 2011 Stanley Cup run. Unfortunately for them, they lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games. While McLean holds a fair number of records as a Canucks goalie, Luongo does hold some as well, especially in shutouts and wins.
4. Trevor Linden
When it comes to the No. 4 and No. 3 spots, fans can debate who goes ahead of the other, especially when it comes to longevity with the team, stats, impact, etc. That said, it's tough to put "Captain Canuck" Trevor Linden in the fourth spot. But once we get to No. 3, it makes sense how you could make the case to flip-flop these two spots.
Over his 16 seasons with the franchise, he tallied 318 goals, 415 assists, and 733 points in 1,140 games. During the playoffs in Vancouver, Linden finished with 34 goals and 95 points in 118 games. He will always be remembered for the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where he was second in scoring. He had 12 goals and 25 points during the postseason, helping lead the seventh-seeded Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers.
Linden even scored the Canucks' two goals in their Game 7 3-2 loss to the Rangers. He put the team on his back in that series, especially in Game 7. He not only cared about what he did on the ice, but also the off-ice impact he had with the community in Vancouver. With his countless visits to hospitals and charities, he was a pillar in the community. That's why he is called "Captain Canuck".
3. Pavel Bure
Just like with Linden at No. 4, there is a case for flipping either him or Pavel Bure for these two slots. When it comes to "The Russian Rocket", he had a huge impact with the Canucks, even if he was only there for seven seasons. Over that span, Bure had 254 goals, 224 assists, and 478 points in 428 games. Even with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser passing him recently for seventh and eighth all-time in points, Bure's 478 points in 428 games with the Canucks will always be impressive.
During the playoffs with the Canucks, Bure finished with 34 goals and 66 points in 60 games. While Linden had 95 points in 118 playoff games, something about Bure having 66 in 60 is mind-blowing. Despite the relationship going sour between Bure and the Canucks, what he did in Vancouver is impressive and will always put him on these types of lists.
2. Daniel Sedin
For the final two spots, it's pretty clear that it'll be the Sedin twins. However, it comes down to who gets No. 2 and No. 1 between the two, especially given how they impacted games differently with the Canucks. While Daniel was the main goal scorer, Henrik was the set-up man during their 17 seasons.
Regarding Daniel, he leads the franchise in goals (393), even-strength goals (255), power-play goals (138), and game-winning goals (86), while playing 1,306 games (second all-time). During the 11 playoffs he participated in, Daniel finished with 25 goals and 71 points in 102 games.
It's hard to argue that Daniel and his brother Henrik shouldn't be in the top three, let alone who is No. 2 or No. 1 all-time with the Canucks. It's interesting when asking fans who the better twin is because, during their time with the Canucks, they were the best together for 17 seasons.
1. Henrik Sedin
It's funny looking back at when the Sedins were drafted, when Daniel went second overall, followed by Henrik at third overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. They were so inseparable that both guys made their rookie season debuts in 2000-01. Furthermore, not only did they debut together, but they both retired at the same time following the 2017-18 season.
While Daniel holds the goal records and is second all-time in games played, Henrik leads the Canucks in games played (1,330), assists (830), points (1,070), and in plus/minus (plus-165). For added context, Henrik is seventh in goals (240), fifth in even-strength goals (172), and third in game-winning goals (38). But overall, Henrik was the all-around stats player, while his brother was the main goal scorer.
Either way, whoever goes in one of those spots between the Sedins, fans cannot go wrong with how Daniel and Henrik made their impact with the Canucks.
Do you agree with our list? Who would you add or remove? Maybe change up the order of the list? We would love to hear and see what fans think of the top five Canucks players of all time list here at The Canuck Way.
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