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Sedins may sign year-to-year past next season

Boston Bruins v Vancouver Canucks - Game Five

VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 10: Daniel Sedin #22 and Henrik Sedin #33 of the Vancouver Canucks look on prior to Game Five of the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Arena on June 10, 2011 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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While the NHLPA fights for the players’ right to sign a contract longer than five years, Canucks forward Daniel Sedin admits that he and his twin brother, Henrik, may commit one year at a time once their current deal runs out at the end of the 2013-14 season.

“We’re already taking it year by year right now,” Daniel said this week, as per The Province. “We have a year and a half on this current contract and then mentally I think it will be easier if we go year by year after that.

“Mentally, when you get to this age, to be able to perform, you have to be there. I really believe if you sign a long term deal it will be tougher to perform on a nightly basis.”

The Sedins turned 32 in September. In 2011-12, the top eight scorers in the NHL were all under 30.

For Vancouver, the Sedins on year-to-year deals would probably be a good thing. As long as the Canucks are Stanley Cup contenders, the twins will almost certainly want to stay with the organization that drafted them and in the community in which they’ve become so involved. It’s hard to picture a scenario where the amount of annual salary comes between the two sides.

If on the other hand Vancouver falls out of contention, the club may not want to dedicate a significant amount of cap space to a couple of aging stars that, in turn, may wish to pursue their Cup dreams with a team that could actually make those dreams come true.

One thing’s for certain: the Canucks’ current core doesn’t have many seasons left to win the franchise’s first championship.

As it stands, Vancouver doesn’t have a single major contributor under 26 years old – not surprising given the club’s regular-season success that’s negated its ability to stock up on elite prospects at the draft.

In fact, the Canucks haven’t had a draft pick from 1-9 since they selected the Sedins No. 2 and No. 3 in 1999.

Related: Sedin feeling no effects from Keith elbow