When we say we need a Top 6 Winger, we should mean an All-Star 1st Line Winger

[CanucksJay]

First, I preface this by saying I'm a huge Sedin fan and think they are great hockey players.

However...

I'm not sold on Sedin Sedin Burrows. I'm actually more doubtful of the Sedins to score/defend during the playoffs when the game is on the line. How many times have we seen them on the ice during an important moment in the game and they get scored on?

For such skilled players, they are a combined -26 in the playoffs. That's our #1 line folks. I can understand opposing coaches shutting them down with their top D pairings etc but elite players should not be liabilities on the ice. That's why as good as Burrows is, they actually need a 3rd line mate who is even better than the Sedins. They need a 3rd player who can take over that line whether it be to regain puck possession in the defensive zone OR tenacious on the forecheck in the offensive zone.

I just don't think their style of play is built for the playoffs and it would be foolish to go into this year's playoffs again with Sedin Sedin Burrows.

Some fans will say that their poor performance is due to the lack of scoring support from lines 2-4 but I don't buy that. The performance of lines 2-4 are completely independent of the Sedins performance.

Yes the team result might be that the Canucks lose the game because they have no scoring support but when you look at the crux of the issue, it's actually the Sedins that are getting outscored while being on the ice rather than the other lines.

If lines 2-4 can stay even with the opposing team, theoretically, if the Sedins beat the opposing team's top line, we should win right?

Name any other SC champion team where their 1st line is a combined -26?

I don't think you will find any.

I'm not saying trade the Sedins. I'm saying change the way you view the Sedins.

See them more as support players and add a #1 player on that line.

The only other solution is to break up the Sedins and spread the skill on 2 different lines.

[TOMapleLaughs]

With 2-way ability.

No floater primadonnas please.

[Wheels22]

So.. We should get Crosby?.. Cool

[Monty]

Glad you brought this up. Every team in NHL wants to get rid of their all-star winger. I'm sure the Canucks easily get one by, oh I don't know, trading Booth? Can't offer Raymond, Ballard, and a 1st anymore.

[TOMapleLaughs]

I guess somebody hasn't noticed that they're a bit better defensively this season.

However a couple teams still own them. Namely the Kings and Ducks. The diving and whining hypocrite team and the Getzlaf and Perry show.

[Ronnie Canuck]

I was thinking when we play the "heavy teams" in the playoffs roll the Sedins as the 4th line. Have our first three lines hit everything that moves and frustrate the other teams top 3 lines and the opposing coaches match up game.

Grind it out and have the Sedins play against the other teams 4th line.

Have Burrows play on 2nd or 3rd line with Hansen as a checking /pest line that can score.

Put Wiese or Archibald with the twins and match them up against 4th lines.

Best 4th line ever and would force the other teams to change their strategy against us .

Have Torts play mind games with other teams how he uses the Sedins.

Of course load up the power play and re-unite Burrows with them any chance of an offensive zone face off after any icing.

[Monty]

I was thinking when we play the "heavy teams" in the playoffs roll the Sedins as the 4th line. Have our first three lines hit everything that moves and frustrate the other teams top 3 lines and the opposing coaches match up game.

Grind it out and have the Sedins play against the other teams 4th line.

Have Burrows play on 2nd or 3rd line with Hansen as a checking /pest line that can score.

Put Wiese or Archibald with the twins and match them up against 4th lines.

Best 4th line ever and would force the other teams to change their strategy against us .

Have Torts play mind games with other teams how he uses the Sedins.

Of course load up the power play and re-unite Burrows with them any chance of an offensive zone face off after any icing.

Honestly, and I'm not being funny, but this is quite possibly the worst post I have ever seen. Can we all pretend that this post never happened?

[Snake Doctor]

I bet you we are going into the playoffs with almost the exact same team we have at this point.

[Bert Diesel]

Did you ever consider that the Sedin's decline in production hasn't happened as much because of their wingers as because of the abscence of a puck moving defenceman who can rush into the zone and get them set up. There two biggest seasons came with Erhoff, its not a coincidence either. Getting an all star winger is going to be pretty much impossible, we will have to give up too much organizational and not the teams biggest need.

[CanucksJay]

So.. We should get Crosby?.. Cool

Glad you brought this up. Every team in NHL wants to get rid of their all-star winger. I'm sure the Canucks easily get one by, oh I don't know, trading Booth? Can't offer Raymond, Ballard, and a 1st anymore.

No but if we want a legitimate shot before the Sedins and Keslers windows close (as it is closing in the next few years) we should actually think about the possibility of trading some of our big assets like Edler, 1st round picks or prospects if it will get us a premier 1st liner.

A package of Edler, a top prospect like Horvat should be good enough to land a premier all-star winger.

We undervalue Edler here quite bit. He's under a good contract, young and has put up lots of points as a d-man.

Horvat we got straight up in a trade with Schneider.

So basically Edler + Schneider for a game changer.

I think that's fair. That would be the type of trade we wanted in the 1st place.

[Tystick]

I agree

Someone like Jagr would be money with the twins

[Tystick]

No but if we want a legitimate shot before the Sedins and Keslers windows close (as it is closing in the next few years) we should actually think about the possibility of trading some of our big assets like Edler, 1st round picks or prospects if it will get us a premier 1st liner.

A package of Edler, a top prospect like Horvat should be good enough to land a premier all-star winger.

We undervalue Edler here quite bit. He's under a good contract, young and has put up lots of points as a d-man.

Horvat we got straight up in a trade with Schneider.

So basically Edler + Schneider for a game changer.

I think that's fair. That would be the type of trade we wanted in the 1st place.

You could add Hodgson in there too

[CanucksSayEh]

1 good 60ish point winger is plenty I think. Someone like a peak Burrows. Ofcourse someone better would be nice too.

[CanucksJay]

You could add Hodgson in there too

But we're not trading Kassian or I'd say Hodgson...

[D-Money]

Half of their "combined -26" was from the Boston series.

As for the other 89 games, ending up with a minus 6 or 7 each isn't TERRIBLE.

[2009cupchamps]

Anyone who wants to trade Horvat needs to check themselves in to the hospital for immediate evaluation or stop smoking crack

[Tystick]

But we're not trading Kassian or I'd say Hodgson...

Oh my bad I misunderstood what you were saying

[Bert Diesel]

I hate the "window is closing" logic. Hockey is a team sport. We can balance our lineup properly to offset some of our top offensive stars aging. Hopefully because guys like Henrik and Daniel have taken less money to stay, we can have a true four line team, with a strong fifth line in Utica next season. 2014-15 looks even stronger than this one when you factor in the cap room and the kids we will have on the farm. Having an aging Sedin's around is crucial to helping the development of younger player like Horvat,Shink,Gaunce,Schroeder, Kassian, Gaunce. The window will only close if we trade these guys for a so-called all-star winger and then lose in the first round again. Stop thinking in such black and white terms about the so-called window. Detroit's window lasted 20 years.

[CanucksJay]

Half of their "combined -26" was from the Boston series.

As for the other 89 games, ending up with a minus 6 or 7 each isn't TERRIBLE.

I was curious so I looked at their past 3 seasons of playoff rounds

Daniel

2013 against SJ= -2

2012 against Kings= Even

2011 against Boston= -5

2011 against SJ= +4

2011 against Nashville = -6

2011 against Chi= -2

Only successful series was against San Jose

Henrik

2013 against SJ= Even

2012 against Kings= Even

2011 against Boston= -7

2011 against SJ= +4

2011 against Nashville = -4

2011 against Chi= -4

Henrik also only had a good series against SJ

Our 1st line has only won 1 series against their opposition in the past 6 rounds

Other teams take advantage of the fact that the refs put away the whistles come playoffs and give the d-men an extra 1-2 seconds to hold along the boards. That completely neutralizes the Sedins and in fact they become liabilities when their cycle game is broken.

I firmly believe we need to add another element on our 1st line or we should expect the same.

I also am curious to see what Torts does heading into the playoffs this year and see if he has plans to adjust the strategy

[CanucksJay]

I hate the "window is closing" logic. Hockey is a team sport. We can balance our lineup properly to offset some of our top offensive stars aging. Hopefully because guys like Henrik and Daniel have taken less money to stay, we can have a true four line team, with a strong fifth line in Utica next season. 2014-15 looks even stronger than this one when you factor in the cap room and the kids we will have on the farm. Having an aging Sedin's around is crucial to helping the development of younger player like Horvat,Shink,Gaunce,Schroeder, Kassian, Gaunce. The window will only close if we trade these guys for a so-called all-star winger and then lose in the first round again. Stop thinking in such black and white terms about the so-called window. Detroit's window lasted 20 years.

At this rate, the Canucks can be a perennial playoff team. I think most would agree however that our chances to win the cup has decreased every year since 2011.