Sometimes Being The Third Wheel Ain't So Bad

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In most cases, I would not recommend being the third wheel. You're told that it will be fun, and it'll be a "group hangout." But it's not. It's a date, and you just happen to be there. You wind up feeling like you don't belong, and the couple overcompensates in an attempt to make you feel more comfortable. Which makes it so much worse.

The Sedins aren't your typical couple, though. If you can cope with the outward public displays of affection celebration following goals, there are lucrative benefits to be had. They'll treat you right. They are Swedish twins, after all.

If you're not sold on that, all you need to do is take a trip down memory lane to see just how rewarding being along for the ride has been. Why wouldn't you want to be part of the 'Makeup Line' (I'm still working on this one)? You'll be made to look better than you actually are. The god given talents that you were born with will not match up with your production. You'd be crazy not to give it a whirl.

No matter the sport, there are certain types of players that have the ability to fend for themselves, and "get theirs". More times than not, those players are doing it while on terrible teams, serving as the one bright light in an otherwise bleak situation.

Having the ability to make another player look significantly better than the ability he actually possesses, though, is a unique skill. And it's a skill that the Sedins have made a career of.

Other than the obvious on-ice benefits - such as being devastating offensive forces that produce goals, and keep opponents pinned in their own zone - this ability has allowed the Canucks to (for the most part) avoid being held hostage by marginal players. Ask any general manager, and he'll tell you - a team will never wind up regretting having given an elite player a few extra bucks. Even if it means they overpaid. Where they wind up burying themselves is when they start talking themselves into replacement-level players, giving them legitimate money in the hopes that they'll elevate their play.

Management knows exactly what they have in the Sedins, and it has allowed them to run a cycle of sorts for years. Plug players in there, and once the success gets to their head and they decide to move onto what they think are bigger and better things, you let them go. There's another capable player available, with a cheaper price tag. Rinse, and repeat.

In a sense, they're very similar to "Captain Canada" Steve Nash. It's a different sport, but the same principle applies. Teammates come and go. Whoever is so lucky to play with him finds tremendous success, ultimately parlaying that into a nice payday. What all of those players quickly wind up realizing is that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Below is a list of players that have lined up next to the Sedins for extended periods of time, since 2005-06. That's the year following the lockout, which coincides with the year the Sedins elevated their games.


Anson Carter - A 10th round draft pick, who played for 9 different organizations (if you count the Colorado Avalanche, who drafted him). He actually proved to be a legitimate 20-25 goal scorer in the NHL from 1998-2002. Unfortunately for him, the wheels fell off after that - he bounced around on 4 different teams in a span of two years.

And that's where the Sedins came along. In '05-'06, Carter signed with the Vancouver Canucks. Coach Marc Crawford slotted him next to the twins, and what happened next was magical. Carter exploded to the tune of 33 goals, with 15 of them coming on the power play. It should be pointed out that Carter's shooting percentage skyrocketed to 22.6%, which was far greater than anything he had ever posted in his career. Even the line's name was tremendous - the 'Brother Line'.

Unfortunately for Carter, he was the first casualty in what would become a trend for former Sedin linemates. He signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets the following summer, probably feeling fairly good about himself as a hockey player. He scored 11 goals combined between Columbus and Carolina, and was out of the NHL after the season.

A rather steep drop, wouldn't you say?

'The Brother Line'

Taylor 'Glacier Eyes' Pyatt - Pyatt was selected 8th overall in the 1999 NHL draft by the New York Islanders, and it's not exactly difficult to see why. A 6'3'' power forward, with good hands. It's the dream. Remember that back then, it was a different league. Success for a player who couldn't necessarily skate all that well was far more conducive.

Also, the Islanders' management team probably got lost in his eyes while they interviewed him prior to the draft. And their general manager at the time was Mike Milbury. They didn't stand a chance.

Pyatt wound up being a massive disappointment, playing only one season for the Islanders. In his first five seasons in the league, he totalled 42 goals. The Canucks took a calculated risk on him, acquiring him for a fourth round pick in the summer of '06.

The following season, Pyatt predominantly played with the Sedins, and you'll never guess what happened next. He scored 23 goals in only 76 games, with 9 coming on the power play. As with Carter, Pyatt's success in finding the back of the net can be attributed to the 15.3% shooting percentage he registered (well above his career average). Not bad for a player who had failed to crack double digits in the two previous seasons.

The following season, Pyatt lost his stranglehold on the gig of being a caddy for the Sedins. He wound up playing with them for roughly 30% of their 5v5 shifts, and saw his goal total tumble down to 16. He has scored a total of 49 goals in the four seasons since '08.

I sometimes wonder - does he sit at home late at night, with a drink in his hand, reminiscing about the days when a pair of silly looking Swedish twins made him into a legitimate NHL player?

Taylor Pyatt just didn't want to let go of the success. Literally. 

Markus 'I Once Signed The Back Of a Receipt For A 10-year Old Dimitri' Naslund - In his final season with the Canucks ('07-'08), Naslund lined up next to the Sedins for approximately 55% of his 5v5 shifts. He wound up scoring 25 goals, which was fairly consistent with the totals he put up in the years that sandwiched that season. By that point, he was no longer 'MARKUS FREAKIN' NASLUND!!'

Regardless, he's a legend. He was productive with the Sedins, and he was productive afterwards. Heck, he could probably roll out of bed and score 25 goals if he wanted to.


Pavol Demitra - The late Demitra came to the Canucks in '08-'09, and registered 20 goals in 69 games. The Sedin twins only played 25% of their 5v5 shifts with him, but that made him their second most commonly used linemate. As far as I can tell (and recall from my memory) from the numbers, they didn't click all that well. Demitra wound up bouncing around all over the lineup, ultimately settling on a line with Ryan Kesler and Mats Sundin (remember him?) to end the season.


Mikael 'EHHH ehh ehh EHH' Samuelsson - Before becoming a Canuck, Samuelsson's career high in goals was 23 (in '05-'06). He scored 30 goals from 2007 to 2009, and 31 goals from 2010 to 2012. Here are Samuelsson's shooting percentages from '01 to '09: 6.4, 5.6, 6.8, 6.0, 12.3, 7.4, 4.4, 7.4.

In '09-'10, he scored 30 goals, while shooting 13.7%. I'm simply trying to put that particular season, in which he received playing time with the Sedins, into perspective for you.

Samuelsson was critical of the Canucks back in July, and the person he singled out was Alex Burrows. He essentially blamed the loss in the Stanley Cup final to the Bruins, on Burrows' dust-up with Patrice Bergeron. I'm no psychiatrist, but it seems to me like Mikael is misplacing his anger. He's not mad at Burrows for that. He's mad at him for taking the Sedins away from him. Once you go Sedin, you can never go back.

Speaking of the devil..


Alex 'Win Da Turd' Burrows - In case you can't remember when Burrows initially caught on with the Sedins, just take a quick look at his season-by-season stats. It shouldn't be that hard to figure out.

Coming into the '08-'09 season, Burrows had totalled 22 goals in 206 career NHL games. He was considered a 4th line agitator, who was never even supposed to have gotten a whiff of the NHL. Enter Sandman Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

Burrows' goal totals since then are 28, 35, 26, 28. During those years his shooting percentages are 16.0, 16.7, 17.1, and a measly 14.1. The craziest part, though, is that almost all of that production has come without the benefit of the power play. In those four years, Burrows has a combined 7 power play goals.

He has been moved around occasionally in the past few years - mostly when Alain Vigneault needed to send a message, and wake the team up - but never for any substantial period of time. He has been a package deal with the Sedins for the past three seasons, and the numbers speak for themselves.

"I mean, sure, I guess we can make that guy some money."

Now, the power of Sedins may be put to the ultimate test next summer. Burrows is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and could potentially wind up cashing in with another team. After playing out an incredibly team-friendly contract, no one would blame him.

If that winds up happening, suddenly the best role in hockey has an opening. Just ask the likes of Anson Carter, Taylor Pyatt, Mikael Samuelsson, and Alex Burrows - the Sedins do more for your shooting percentage than silicone does for your breasts. If they have been paying any attention, every Canuck should be willing to do anything to get in on some Sedinery. I'm proposing a battle royal, to determine who that lucky individual is.

Put it on pay-per-view. Donate the proceeds to charity. Who says no?

I'll leave you with one final moment of brilliance brought to you by the Sedins. Kick back, enjoy the show, and have your $1 bills ready:

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