Canucks Advent Day 25: Top 25 Players Of The 2010’s

Overtime Heroics Editorial

1377 days ago

With Christmas on the horizon and the decade coming to a close, it is the perfect time to rank the best Canucks of the 2010’s. This is the Canucks Advent Calendar.

Each day until Christmas I will rank one player until we have the top 25 of the 2010’s. These Vancouver icons will be ranked on their statistics, impact on the city and overall play during their time with Vancouver. Rankings will be based on the player’s Vancouver tenure during the 2010’s only, prior seasons with the team will make little impact to the rankings.

Henrik Sedin (2000 – 2018)

Former Canucks’ captain Henrik Sedin (33) | Photo Credit: NHL.com

Statistics: 1340 GP, 240 G, 830 A, 1070 PTS

Along with his brother Daniel, Henrik Sedin has been an iconic figure in Vancouver for the past decade. Henrik was taken third overall during the 1999 Draft. Initially, Henrik would need a few years to find out where he fit in the lineup. Once he determined his role, Henrik was extremely successful. Daniel and Henrik were inseparable on the ice. The biggest difference in their game was Henrik’s tendency to be primarily a passer. Henrik would go into be one of the greatest captains in Canucks history.

Early Years

From 2000 to 2003 Henrik Sedin maintained a scoring rate of around 30 points a year. The young Swede was studying the game, trying to find his niche on a fairly talented Canucks squad. Henrik had an opportunity to play on the same team as Swedish great Markus Naslund. It’s fairly certain that Henrik picked up a few traits from the captain.

Canucks Advent — Henrik Sedin (33) celebrating with teammates after a goal | Photo Credit: Vancouver Sun

Henrik was able to hit 42 points during the 2003-04 season but it wasn’t until 2005-06 that he’d show his true potential. After playing for the Modo Hockey Club during the lockout season he would have a breakout season back in the NHL. Henrik recorded 75 points, in 2005-06, establishing himself as someone to watch.

Becoming an Elite Player

The Swedish center tallied 71 assists on 81 points during the following season of 2006-07. Another 61 assist season the following year established Henrik as one of the league’s premier passers. It was clear at this point that both of the Sedin twins were becoming the focal point of this Canucks team. With Naslund and other veterans leaving at the end of 2008, Henrik was in line to take over.

The Canucks were able to secure a playoff birth in the 2008-09 season. Henrik had a career-high 82 points as he helped lead this new Canucks core into the second round. Unfortunately, the Canucks would lose in the second round against the rival Chicago Blackhawks.

The Canucks roster would look even stronger during the following season. Although the Blackhawks would take out Vancouver in the second round, many of the players would have impressive seasons. Henrik was Vancouver’s most successful player this season. He won the 2009-10 Art Ross Trophy for having the most points in the league with a whopping 112. Henrik was the first and only Canuck in franchise to win the Hart Trophy, awarded to the league MVP.

94 points for Henrik in the following season helped the Canucks obtain their most fruitful season in franchise history. The team won their first franchise President’s Trophy and even made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Henrik was named captain at the beginning of the season. It would be fair to attribute some of the success to this captaincy change.

Final Seasons as a Canuck

Henrik played quite well during the 2011-12 campaign recording 81 points throughout the regular season. He captained Vancouver to their second ever President’s Trophy. The Canucks would be eliminated in the first round, but it is hard to deny the fact that their regular season was profitable.

A total of 95 points in the next two seasons would show that Henrik was aging and that his most productive days may have been behind him. Granted, one of these seasons was a half-year, however it was still evident that he could no longer put up so many points. Two consecutive first round exits and missed postseason showed that the team was declining as a whole.

Henrik would bounce back during the 2014-15 season where he led the team back into the playoffs. ‘Captain Hank’ scored 73 points, recording over 50 assists for the final time in his career. Although the Canucks would lose in the first round it was nice to see Henrik have a final strong season.

During the final three seasons of his career, Henrik would stay around the 50-point mark while missing the playoffs each year. This was an important time as it gave him an opportunity to mentor some of the up-and-coming players in the way that Naslund did for him. During this time, Henrik would be given the King Clancy Award twice due to his leadership.

It is hard to argue the fact that Henrik Sedin is one of the greatest Canucks in franchise history. He brought them their first Art Ross and President’s Trophies. Henrik captained the Canucks for the better part of a decade. He earned Vancouver their only Hart Trophy and helped take them to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third time. For these reasons, Henrik Sedin is the most impacful Canuck of the 2010’s