image: TSN

He and his twin brother, Henrik, have spent their careers with the Canucks and have consistently put up almost identical stats so when Daniel got knocked out of the lineup, a lot of people wondered what would happen to Henrik.  They usually work in tandem with Henrik setting up good plays and Daniel scoring but now Henrik is stepping up and celebrated his first NHL hat trick last night in the Canucks’ massive 8-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche.  It’s amazing to me that after 667 games he hadn’t accomplished this feat but it doesn’t matter now anyway.

Of course, I’m sure Henrik got a little help from the craptacular way Colorado has been playing.  The Avs are suddenly sucking after having such a good start (10-1-2) to the season.  They are now 2-4-1 over their last seven games.

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According to the Globe and Mail, the NHL is investigating some comments that Toronto Maple Leafs coach, Ron Wilson, made in reference to the team’s interest in signing Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

On June 31st, Wilson said (on the Fan 590):  “You’re hearing right now, and this sounds very contradictory but, there’s a real possibility, I would think, that we would be going after the Sedins. Let’s just speculate there.”

Apparently, “an unnamed NHL executive remarked that what Wilson said was a ‘clear-cut case of tampering.’”  The Canucks haven’t filed a tampering complaint and the league won’t confirm the reports but NHL bylaw No. 15 states that tampering is, “the making or causing to be made through any medium, public or private, any statement indicating any intention or desire of or interest in acquiring the services [of a player on another club].”  If you go by that, Wilson really is in violation of this rule.

Of course, complicating matters is the fact that Toronto GM, Brian Burke, happened to be in Sweden at the time and many assumed that he was there to woo the Sedin brothers.  Naturally, the club has an explanation for his trip and said that he was there to talk to Swedish free-gent goalie Jonas Gustavsson.

I know some people don’t think it’s worth wasting time and money on investigating this issue but I think that they need to send a message that this isn’t acceptable.  Otherwise, we’re going to start seeing coaches and players sending out messages through the media more and more.

image: TSN

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Samuelsson seems happy with the transaction.  In a conference call he said: "Obviously that (the money) was the key, I shouldn’t lie.   They have a good thing going and I think my role can be a little different here. I like the team.  When you play against Vancouver it’s always a hard game and a skill game too.  You need some experience (to win the Cup). You need to be hungry. I believe we can do some damage."

He had a decent season with the Detroit Red Wings last season.  During the regular season, he posted 40 points in 81 games and 10 points in 23 playoff games.

He definitely has experience too.  He’s played in 466 NHL games and he also was part of Sweden’s gold medal-winning team at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino.  

I think he could be really good in Vancouver’s lineup and I’m interested in seeing his chemistry with Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

image: TSN

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GM Mike Gillis said: "Daniel and Henrik Sedin are this club’s offensive leaders and players we want to build around.  Their level of performance in every area of the game is exceptional; both Daniel and Henrik are committed to winning and we want them to succeed as Vancouver Canucks."

You really can’t replace a player who is committed to the team so having two of them on the ice is a real bonus.  Together, the pair have compiled 288 goals, 634 assists, and 922 points in 1,288 games.  In true twin style, they racked up 82 points during the 2008-2009 season with Henrik scoring 22 goals (a career high) and Daniel leading the Canucks with 31 goals.

Henrik and Daniel originally asked for 12-year deals with $63 million each but, according to their agent JP Barry, “They’re happy that this deal got to the range that it was fair."  It is a significant raise – they only made $3.75 million apiece last season.

image: TSN

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image: TSN

I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with them staying with the Canucks but I actually think there’s a lot of untapped talent with these guys and I also think that they don’t get the recognition they deserve (which means a lot considering how much I dislike Vancouver).

If you believe the Swedish website expressen.se, the offer has already been turned down by Canucks management.  Daniel Sedin was interviewed on CKNW today and said: “I don’t want to talk about it.  When this gets done, we will talk, but right now well keep it between Mike (Canucks GM Gillis) and ourselves.”

With days left before they become unrestricted free agents, you would think Vancouver would be all over trying to lock these guys up but then again, this can also be a time for shockers.  I hope that if a fair deal can’t be struck, these two go to a team that will really appreciate them and help them take their play to the next level.

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