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Sedins fading from Vancouver's priority list

And both sides still as far apart as ever

By Ed Willes, The Province
June 26, 2009 8:18 AM

Mike Gillis and J.P. Barry, who represents the Sedin twins, are both experienced, knowledgeable hockey men who've been involved on the business side of the NHL for years.

Both know the market. Both know the relative worth of players. Both know what's fair and not fair. Until recently, both worked as agents and shared information and insights about the game.

They've also said they've enjoyed a cordial professional relationship over the years and when Gillis became the general manager of the Vancouver Canucks last season, they concluded a successful negotiation over the services of Mats Sundin.

At least it was successful for Sundin.

Now, we mention all this because Gillis and Barry are currently embroiled in a negotiation over the Sedins in which the two sides are as far apart as Pluto and Mercury. The tone of the discussions has been civil, publicly at least, but there's also been little movement since the talks began last offseason, largely because there is a fundamental difference of opinion over the twins' value.

More to the point, there is a fundamental difference of opinion over their value relative to the salary cap. Gillis believes a dramatic downturn in league revenues and, by extension, the cap is coming and signing the twins at market value will severely limit the Canucks going forward.

Barry, on the other hand, argues that, if there is a market correction, it won't impact the high-end players and the Sedins have proven conclusively they're high-end players over the last four seasons.

They're also about to become unrestricted free agents in a week and given their age -- they turn 29 in September -- and their proven level of production, the market for their services is clearly defined. At its lowest end, it's $6 million US a season. At it's highest, $7 million. You can quibble about term, but, in the end, any deal should fall somewhere between those two figures.

I mean, anyone who's looked at NHL salaries for more than five minutes can make that determination. But the Canucks and Barry aren't even speaking the same language, so what can we deduce about things as they now stand?

Well, if you're Barry, you have to think Gillis either has no intention of signing the Sedins or he really believes he can get them at a bargain. But that's also besides the point because there isn't a reputable agent in the game who would recommend the deal the Canucks are offering to the Sedins.

Gillis knows that. Barry knows that. So unless things change radically in the next week, it appears the twins have played their last game as Canucks.

Again, if you're in Barry's shoes, what other conclusion is there? The twins are many things, but in a world where Anze Kopitar commands $6.8 million a season, they're not $5.5-million hockey players. That's also been the Canucks' position from the outset, and it hasn't changed in almost a year.

In the meantime, Barry has offered a compromise solution based on Henrik Zetterberg's deal with Detroit, which was flatly rejected by Gillis. And Barry has read where Marian Gaborik has purchased a house in Vancouver. And Barry has read where the Canucks have talked to Ottawa about Dany Heatley.

Add it all up and the least you can say is the twins don't appear to be the Canucks' top priority.

Now, that might change. There's a school of thought that Gillis believes the twins will eventually accept a lesser deal because of their desire to play in Vancouver. If that's the case, the Canucks' GM will have scored a major coup and given himself great flexibility under the cap.

But we keep coming back to the central issue of this negotiation.

The Sedins are worth more than $5.5 million on the open market. They will certainly get more than $5.5 million on the open market. It just doesn't look like it's going to be in Vancouver.

And if that's the way this plays out, we're going to have a long, long time to discuss Gillis's decision.