Reaction to the identical 4-year, $28 million Sedin twin extensions
On Friday afternoon the Canucks came to terms with Henrik and Daniel Sedin on identical four-year contract extensions worth $28 million. The reaction to the twin extensions on Twitter was striking, particularly because it was almost uniformly positive from hockey media.
ESPN's Craig Custance thought it was a reasonable deal:
Like both the term and the money on the Sedin deals from a Vancouver perspective. Completely reasonable.
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) November 1, 2013
So did the Globe and Mail's David Ebner:
That the Sedins got four yrs is no surprise. Nothing less was to be expected. $$$ inline w market - and they could have gotten more Ufa.
— David Ebner (@DavidEbner) November 1, 2013
Ebner's Globe and Mail colleague James Mirtle pointed out that the extensions could provide the Canucks significant value as the salary cap increases over the next four years:
Cap is going to be at least in $76- to $80-million range by last year of the Sedin deals, or equivalent to $5.75-mil each in today's dollars
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) November 1, 2013
TSN's Farhan Lalji suspects that the twins' productive start to the season played a role in negotiations:
Have to believe the Sedin's great start to the season had some impact these negotiations. #canucks
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) November 1, 2013
Sportsnet's Mark Spector praised the twins for their generosity:
Remember this: Whatever it was the Sedins "left on the table" they were just going to give to charity anyhow. And still will.
— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) November 1, 2013
ESPN's Pierre LeBrun explained the compromise the two sides eventually came to:
Canucks originally wanted three-year deals for twins, agent JP Barry was pushing for five years, so yes, they found the middle
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) November 1, 2013
LeBrun's report was corroborated and elaborated on by the Vancouver Province's Jason Botchford:
The Sedins wanted this to be their final contract in the NHL and were seeking a five-year deal. The Canucks, looking to mitigate risk, were trying to get them under contract with three-year extensions.
Shortly after the deals were signed the Sedins and Mike Gillis appeared at a brief media availability to discuss the contracts.
Gillis described the Sedins as "pillars of our hockey team":
Mike Gillis calls Sedins "pillars of our hockey team" who "set an example for all of us"
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 1, 2013
Henrik opined that the new contracts are a square deal all around:
Henrik Sedin: "I think it's a fair deal for everyone."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 1, 2013
Gillis pointed out that the twins are essentially irreplaceable:
Gillis said it would've been "impossible" to replace twins in free agency
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 1, 2013
Henrik suggested that money played only a minor role in negotiations and that the more important issue was whether or not the Canucks were intent on icing a competitive team:
Henrik Sedin: "People that know us, know that money is a small part of the negotiation ... our families love it here"
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 1, 2013
Sedins wanted assurances that Canucks still intended on winning vs a rebuild...
— Blake Price (@blakeprice1040) November 1, 2013