The Sedin era in Vancouver may well be coming to an end after Canucks' general manager Mike Gillis confirmed on Tuesday that talks with the Swedish brothers had hit an impasse and will pick up after the season ends.
In an interview with Vancouver radio station TEAM 1040, Gillis said that the negotiations could become a distraction.
"We've had a number of productive discussions with them and I think now that we're getting down to the end of the season, it might be best to leave it alone until after we're done," Gillis told the TEAM. “We're in a playoff race that's really tight and we decided that we just wouldn't have any other distractions, so we'll wait until the end of the season. From our perspective, we're moving ahead and we want Daniel and Henrik back, and we're going to do whatever is necessary to get them back."
Daniel and Henrik Sedin are reportedly looking for five-year contracts in the range of $6.5 million per year. The Canucks have reportedly made a counter-offer of approximately $5.5 million per year, for a term of three or four seasons.
The agent for the Sedins, JP Barry, has stated in the past that he believes his clients are among the elite scorers in the NHL since the lockout, and Barry said he is looking for compensation in the range of $6 to $7 million per season.
While the Canucks have been red hot of late, posting a 14-3-1 record since the beginning of February, the brothers have struggled. Daniel is without a goal in ten games heading into action on Tuesday while Henrik has found the back of the net only twice in the same span.