The problem with post-lockout player contracts is that the first time you see the numbers, you're too busy wiping up the beverage you just spit on your laptop screen to do the math.
Case and point: TSN runs a headline this morning that trumpeted "REPORT: SEDINS SEEKING IDENTICAL 12-YEAR, $63M CONTRACTS." Immediate reaction: What's the Swedish word for "straightjackets"?
But crunch the numbers of their alleged demand, reported on Swedish website expressen.se, and it's clear they're going for a Henrik Zetterberg-like long-term deal with a manageable cap hit for the Vancouver Canucks (or whoever signs Daniel and Henrik Sedin).
The Zetterberg deal was universally praised because Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland orchestrated it; the Sedins' contract demand as UFAs, which neither they nor their agent have commented on, was immediately questioned in the TSN report:
While the twins enjoyed solid seasons with the Canucks last year, co-leading the team in scoring with 82 points each while each adding 10 points during the Canucks' playoff run, they have yet to reach the same level as Zetterberg who captured the Conn Smythe trophy last season while leading his Red Wings to the Stanley Cup.
The brother's have expressed an interest in remaining in Vancouver, while the Canucks' have stated that it is a priority to re-sign the twins, however it is believed that a $63 million price tag is much more than general manager Mike Gillis would be willing to spend.
So while the potential deals are being met with optimism by some Canucks bloggers and a prediction that the twins are soon-to-be Toronto Maple Leafs in others, we come back to two basic questions:
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1. Is what amounts to a $1.675 increase in both of their cap hits really all that bad, and will the structure of the contracts allow Gillis the flexibility he needs to manage the team?
2. With all this nonsensical talk about a change in course for the Canucks franchise after Roberto Luongo's flameout in the Western Conference semifinals, is building around two players -- neither of whom has ever cracked the 90-point ceiling, as Zetterberg has -- for the next dozen years the right direction for Vancouver? This isn't to say they aren't elite players, because they are -- in comparison to other NHL forwards. But 12-year contracts for two players on the same roster, and on the same line? Something tells us Gillis would take half of that commitment for the Sedins.
In the end, we'd love to see some collusion between NHL owners that they'll only sign the boys if Daniel makes $1 more than Henrik in his contract. You know, just to fulfill that male fantasy and see blonde Swedish twins wrestle for money.
