The Canucks Rebuild May Finally Be Taking the Right Approach

There is something strangely refreshing about listening to Henrik Sedin talk about the Vancouver Canucks rebuild. He isn't promising that the team will suddenly be good next year. He isn't putting a date on the calendar and telling everybody to circle it. And he certainly isn't pretending that a couple of clever trades are going to turn a rebuilding team into a contender.

Instead, he keeps coming back to the same things: drafting, development, support and patience. For a fan base that has spent a lot of time hoping for a shortcut, that might be the most encouraging thing Henrik could say.

The Sedins Know What It Takes to Build a Solid Canucks Team.

The Sedins also have something most hockey executives don't. They know what it feels like to be part of a Canucks’ team that is trying to build something. They know the difference between a team that is simply talented and one that actually becomes a team. And they have no reason to rush this particular project. They're not trying to win a championship before their contract runs out. They're not protecting a reputation built somewhere else.

They're trying to help build the next version of the organization they spent their entire careers representing. That changes the equation. When Henrik says the rebuild needs to be done properly, rather than quickly, it doesn't sound like an excuse. It sounds like somebody who has seen what happens when the foundation isn't strong enough.

It’s Hard to Be Patient with an NHL Franchise.

Of course, patience can become a dangerous word in professional sports. Ask fans in Detroit, Buffalo or Chicago how much fun a rebuild can be when “a few more years” keeps becoming “a few more years.” Henrik understands that, which is why his comments about development are more important than his comments about timing.

The Canucks need their young players to get better. They need Willander, Buium, Öhgren and the next wave of prospects to become NHL players, not simply NHL names. And they need the organization around those kids to improve with them.

Maybe that's the real opportunity for the Sedins. They aren't being asked to rescue the Canucks. They're being asked to help create an organization that doesn't need rescuing every few years. That's a much bigger job—and probably a much better one.