You may recall over the summer when the Sedin twins were asked by a Swedish news outlet if they’d ever consider waiving their no-trade clauses and playing for a team that wasn’t the Vancouver Canucks.
Their answer? They had no intention -- none whatsoever -- of leaving Vancouver, even if they were presented with an opportunity to join a Stanley Cup contender.
But!
Yes, there was a but.
They didn’t definitively say they’d refuse to waive. If, for instance, management were to approach them during the final season of their contracts (2017-18), well, maybe they’d have to consider it.
And, so, because it was the summer and there was nothing else to talk about, and because it had only been a short time since the Flames had made the Canucks look so old and slow in the playoffs, it became a topic of conversation among the fans and media.
Today, GM Jim Benning was asked if he’d put an end to the rumors.
“As far as I’m concerned, the Sedins are going to retire as Vancouver Canucks,” Benning told TSN 1040.
Daniel Sedin currently ranks fourth in NHL scoring with 25 points in 23 games. Henrik is tied for 14th with 22 points. Even at 35, they’re still excellent players.
“I don’t know if they’re getting better, but they’re not getting any worse,” said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville on Saturday, after the twins had combined for nine points in beating the defending champs.
It’s also worth noting that there’s far more optimism in Vancouver about the Canucks’ youth. Last year, there was only Bo Horvat to get excited about. This year, there’s Horvat, Jared McCann, Jake Virtanen and Ben Hutton.
True, the youngsters still have a ways to go. And yes, there are still some glaring holes in the Canucks’ lineup -- most notably on the blue line, a tough area to address via trade or free agency.
It may be in Vancouver’s best long-term interests to miss the playoffs this season and get into the draft lottery.
But you never know, if they hang around a few more years, with a little luck and some good moves by management, the Sedins might not be done chasing the Cup after all.
