San Jose had an idea that trade deadline acquisition Jannik Hansen would be a good fit on the club’s top line next to Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski.
But a word from Hansen’s ex-Canucks teammates -- Daniel and Henrik Sedin -- cemented it.
According [Sharks head coach] Pete DeBoer, assistant Johan Hedberg “got a note from one of the Sedins” that Hansen “would be a real good fit with those two guys. That just reinforced it,” said the coach.
Hansen has been a nice fit since making his Sharks debut on March 9. While he hasn’t exactly racked up the points -- just one assist, in his first game -- the club is 3-1-0 since acquiring him, and Pavelski said the 31-year-old Dane has been a nice compliment to the line.
To hear Hansen explain it, playing with Joe and Joe is a lot like playing with Danny and Hank.
“[Pavelski and Thornton] play the same way as a couple guys in Vancouver,” Hansen said, referring to the twins. “They want the puck, they want to hold on to it, they want to make the plays. For me, it’s fairly simple as to how I’m playing.
“It’s the same thing – digging pucks out, going to the net, getting pucks back for them.”
Hansen often played alongside the Sedins in recent years. When he scored a career-high 22 goals during the ’15-16 campaign, one or both of the twins routinely provided primary/secondary assists.
Hansen will look for his first goal in teal-and-black tonight, when the Sharks host the Blues in San Jose.