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Canucks, Sedins don’t want a trade

Vancouver Canucks v Arizona Coyotes

GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 23: Henrik Sedin #33 (R) of the Vancouver Canucks alongside Daniel Sedin #22 during the first period of the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on November 23, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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According to interviews with Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver, the Sedin twins don’t want to be traded from the Canucks and the feeling seems mutual from GM Jim Benning’s perspective.

“We’re not moving the Sedins unless they come to me at some point and they say, ‘Well, we want to move on,’” Benning told Sportsnet 650, via NHL.com’s transcription. “When we’ve talked to them, we’re not going to go to them and ask them to waive their no-trade. We’re not going to approach them for them to move on to another team.”

Again, this seems to be a shared perspective, as Daniel Sedin specifically said that they aim to retire with the franchise.

Let’s be honest, even if the Canucks want to trade away their identical icons, it wouldn’t be easy.

Granted, it’s easier in 2017-18 than it would have been before, as Daniel and Henrik Sedin’s matching $7 million cap hits are set to expire. Not having to factor in those big numbers beyond the coming season - or however they would figure into matters around, say, the trade deadline - makes things more digestible.

Let’s ponder a few scenarios where this might work, even if these hypothetical situations aren’t necessarily all that probable.

Split up the Sedins?

When the Sedin twins were generating Hart-Trophy-level work, it was especially fascinating to imagine how effective they would be without each other. At 36, they’re no longer flirting with scoring titles and MVPs; it would be that much more of an adjustment for them to play on other teams this deep into their careers.

Every indication is that they wouldn’t want to do that. After all, it’s remarkable that the Sedins were drafted one after another and able to play for the same team for their entire careers.

But, let’s just say that they’d be OK with splitting up for a few months, maybe even agreeing to simply go back to Vancouver in 2018-19.

The logic is obvious: the $14M would go down to $7M, requiring far less strain to fit them under the cap ceiling. Most teams interested in “renting” a Sedin would probably be fairly close to the top, after all.

Getting out of cap jail, but not for free

How creative is Benning willing to get?

The Sedins’ $14M combined serve as a useful way of disposing of bad contracts. What kind of assets would, say, the Los Angeles Kings or Detroit Red Wings part with in order to get rid of some nagging deals while gaining quality players whose contracts will be off the books in the near future? The Canucks could gamble that, even with one or two Sedins in tow, said team might still provide quality picks.

Creativity would be key in part because the Canucks are already retaining salaries for Roberto Luongo and Jannik Hansen.
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It’s ultimately difficult to imagine the Sedins wearing another team’s jersey, especially if they’re both wearing different ones.

The deeper you dive into imaginary scenarios, the more sense it makes to at least look into different possibilities. The Sedins seem to have a great attitude about helping the Canucks, but really, they might benefit Vancouver the most by landing them futures. There could be a “have your cake and eat it too” element for the Sedins, as they’d get a better chance to win a Stanley Cup.

Will it happen? Probably not, but maybe it should.