Ronning4ever

Canucks: Offensive Rubiks Cube

Ah, memories of my youth.

You remember the one I'm talking about. The first time you play with a Rubiks Cube is always the worst, because it doesn't matter what your friend or parents tell you. You think it will be easy. And after 4 frustrating hours, tears and throwing the damn thing against the floor, you hope...pray...that this move will be the one.

And then everything fits except for the 2 inversed red and blue squares. Bah!

If you follow the Canucks with a passion and partner-alienating insanity, thisscenario might seem eerily familiar.

After 2 years of trap, cycle and defensive hockey, things have looked new and exciting. a great pre-season. Youth pitching in and in big ways. The farm seems loaded (albeit not bursting) with call ups and prospects. Luongo looking human, but we are still winning games. The hockey is fast paced, high scoring and we finally have more than one line that can score.

Or do we?

For some reason, which I hope nothing more than a start-up season slump, the first line has gone cold. Really cold.

After rattling off almost 5 points each in the first two games the beloved, honed and much-shat-upon Sedin twins have gone as cold as they did at the end of last season.
6 games. 4 points. 1 goal. Their counterpart, Steve Bernier, has 3 points.

What is remarkable is that this is happening while the 3rd line is going on a scoring bonanza. Burrows and Kesler are near a point a game with 3 goals each. Hansen also has 3. Raymond on the 2nd line : 3 goals and 6 points in his last 5 games. Our defense has been more productive (and less defensive). The Sedins? Invisible.

Again, they may ramp it up again. Who knows. We can only hope that if they get it firing, it'll be firing on all cylinders. If it doesn't we have a terrible dilemma. What gets done with Dan and Hank?

Many people have been clamoring for a trade since the day they were drafted. But in all honesty, the Sedins have been good to Canucks Nation. They've been precision point-per-game scorers who do not get injured and who have played for cheap. They put up with more crap than Mats Sundin and have done it smiling that creepy Swedish smile the whole way. But forget for a moment that they'll probably bounce back. If trading them must be done, what does one get with the Sedins? What do you go for?

Draft Picks? Youth prospects? One high powered center? Do you try to land Malkin for the Sedins...or Semin? Do you split them up and sell them as one scorer and one passer?

And what about cap space? The Canucks have plenty now, but that will get eaten up sooner or later...and they'll have a heck of a lot to put out on Kesler and Burrows if they keep going bananas.

One would hope that the Sedins are just slumping and not that are incompatible with offensive hockey...or Mike Gillis. But if not, what could and would you get for the Sedins? Would be good enough? And even if it was...would it possibly throw the whole Rubiks Cube out of whack anyways?