With the Vancouver Canucks attention focused on the fates of brothers Henrik and Daniel Sedin, the agent for another set of hockey siblings, Scott and Rob Niedermayer, told the Team 1040 Sports Radio they would be interested in playing for Canada's West Coast club.
The Niedermayers, natives of Cranbrook, BC, are unrestricted free agents once the signing period begins on July 1 and a return home could help provide the Canucks with the first answer to a the laundry list of questions they are facing regarding their roster.
"Before they signed in Anaheim that was definitely a big discussion. But at that time, it was difficult because Rob was in a situation where he was still one year away from being an unrestricted free agent, so he still had a year left to stay in Anaheim,” explained Kevin Epp, who represents both players. “In Scott's case, he was unrestricted, and considered very much playing in Canada for the Canucks or Calgary or somewhere near his off-season home and staying out West. I think everyone dreams of playing near your hometown or in Canada or in British Columbia.”
According to Epp, Scott and Rob will consider all options before making a decision, but with the 2010 Winter Olympics on the horizon, Vancouver is an attractive a destination.
"It obviously depends on the Canucks and their situation and where they're at financially, so they're going to have some decisions from their end,” said Epp. “It depends, too, if Scott's going to play and how that's going to play out, and the Olympics. It's just a little bit of everything for those guys."
Scott is a four-time Stanley Cup Champion, who already owns a Norris and Conn Smythe Trophy, but is undecided if he will continue playing next season. The 35-year old had 14 goals and 59 points this season for the Anaheim Ducks, while making $6.75 million in the final year of his four-year $27 million deal.
His younger brother Rob is 34-years old, and netted 14 goals and 21 points for the Ducks this season, in the final year of a four-year, $8 million contract. Despite the fact the pair played together in Anaheim, there is no guarantee that they will demand to be signed as a package deal heading into the 2009-2010 campaign.
The Canucks just finished inking Steve Bernier to a two-year, $4 million contract, but still need to address the situation with the Sedins who are asking for more than $6 million per year, as well as a slew of restricted free agents like Kyle Wellwood, Shane O'Brien, Rick Rypien and Jannik Hansen. Currently Vancouver has $33.2 million committed to 12 players on next year's roster.
