Vancouver Canucks: If Daniel Returns for Playoffs, Should He Play with Henrik?

After receiving an elbow from Duncan Keith Mar. 31, Daniel Sedin missed the last nine games of the season.  

The Canucks received some good news recently, when it was announced that Daniel was skating with the team on Monday and had a good chance of suiting up for game one. Of course, it's hard to really know when the return will be with the unpredictability of concussions.  

When Daniel was skating on Monday, he reportedly was doing so on a line with Henrik Sedin and Alexandre Burrows, but should he?  

Although the idea of splitting up the Sedins seems crazy, it could very well be the strategy that brings the cup home to Vancouver, and here's why.

Since the Canucks lost their leading goalscorer, they went 8-1-0 to end the season and claim the President's Trophy. Henrik Sedin picked up one goal and ten assists in these nine games on the new-look first line with Alexandre Burrows and Maxim Lapierre.  

The only criticism in this dominant run to end the season, was the lack of production from the second line. Of course, a simple solution to that would be to add the team's leading goalscorer to that second line while maintaining the chemistry of the first.  

In recent years, the Sedin twins have been criticized for their lack of effectiveness in the playoffs. With consistent production near a point per game, the criticisms may not be completely justified; but that doesn't mean there's no improvement to be made.  

One possible reason for the reduced effectiveness in the postseason, is that in a series a team learns how to cover the Sedins better, and identifies which players play best against them.  

With one Sedin on each of the first two lines, opponents will find themselves struggling to find effective match-ups, and by the time they do, it will be too late.  

If Daniel Sedin can return for the playoffs, the Canucks should bring Henrik Sedin, Maxim Lapierre and Alexandre Burrows back together on the top line (ended the season with some shuffling).  

The second line should be show Ryan Kesler playing at center, between Daniel Sedin on the left and either Chris Higgins or David Booth on the right.  

If Daniel returns, and Alain Vigneault elects to split the Sedins up, the top two lines of the Vancouver Canucks will be a force to be reckoned with, and will help lead the Canucks deep into the playoffs.