Best Swedish Canuck ever?
by tsusiat on May 6, 2009 10:15 AM PDT
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PrintI was looking at Naslund's numbers, since there has been some talk that his number should be retired. Naslund was a Canuck's Captain for a few years, and a great trade for Stojanov, but I just can't see retiring his number when I compare what he accomplished with what some other players accomplished who have played for the Canucks. More importantly, some of these other players played in the finals, something Naslund never did.
The relative rarity of retired Canucks numbers is a good thing. There have been a lot of good players for the Canucks over the years, but I can think of only one unretired number I would like to see sent to the rafters - maybe I'm biased, but I think that number (#27) was worn by Harold Snepts.
Anyway, for the sake of perspective, here are the career numbers for another great Swedish player who spent 8 years in Vancouver. On a points per game basis, his numbers were better than Nazzy's, though we have to acknowldege he played in a different era. I'm talking of course about Thomas Gradin.
Gradin's Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1978–79 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 76 | 20 | 31 | 51 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1979–80 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 80 | 30 | 45 | 75 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1980–81 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 79 | 21 | 48 | 69 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1981–82 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 76 | 37 | 49 | 86 | 32 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 10 | ||
| 1982–83 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 80 | 32 | 54 | 86 | 61 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1983–84 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 75 | 21 | 57 | 78 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1984–85 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 76 | 22 | 42 | 64 | 43 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1985–86 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 71 | 14 | 27 | 41 | 34 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1986–87 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 64 | 12 | 31 | 43 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 677 | 209 | 384 | 593 | 298 | 42 | 17 | 25 | 42 | 20 | ||||
Anyway, whose your vote for the best Swedish Canuck ever?
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I had to vote the way of Naslund just because he played the majority of his time in the “dead puck” era and still posted decent numbers. While I think Naslunds work was good his #19 should defenitly not be retired by the Canucks, to many choke jobs and screwups in the playoffs to earn such a high honour.
The best player to ever pull the Canuck sweater over their head hasn’t even been considered…Pavel Bure
But, people always look at numbers, not ethnicity, when retiring numbers. Bure’s numbers blow Naslunds out of the water for the period of time he was here.
Ah, he had his few years of brilliance, but I don’t think he’s more deserving at all.
I’ll say Naslund over Gradin, finals or not. For me it’s about years of service and the length of term as captain, whether he was always a good one or not. Believe me though, I’m on the verge of saying “none of the above.”
by Sean Zandberg on May 6, 2009 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions
What it comes down to for me...
Naslund is our all time leader in points and goals. He’s third in assists behind two guys whose numbers have already been retired. Sure, you may point out that he’s also played 884 games and might not have PPG or GPG average, but the pure fact that he’s played 884 games in Canucks uniform is one of the main reasons that his number deserves to be retired over some of the other guys being mentioned (Bure, Sundstrom, Gradin). Tenure is a huge part of why a number should be retired, and Naslund has tenure over everyone but Linden and Smyl.
Maybe observing a few eras of Canucks causes some bias, but...
Watching the Canucks play those early 80s Oilers teams, really the only chance for a win depended most of the time on a few players – Stan Smyl, Glen Hanlon or Richard Brodeur, or even yes, Thomas Gradin.
Gradin played a lot of games for the Canucks, played for them in the Stanley Cup Finals, and was probably the only reason they made it.
In case anyone remembers white towels, while its great they wave them now, or even back in 94, it was Gradin who was the biggest reason they got to the finals. Well, maybe second biggest reason after Richard Brodeur…
Regular season Playoffs
Player # GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
Thomas Gradin 23 76 37 49 86 32 17 9 10 19 10
Gradin was Swedish, clutch in the playoffs and played in a Stanley Cup Final. Naslund was a likeable player with a few good scoring years, but how is that any better than what Gradin accomplished.
Now I’m not arguing we should retire Gradin’s number 23, but I think there is a big difference between the players whose numbers were retired already (Linden and Smyl) and Naslund. If Gradin has pretty comparable numbers and his number hasn’t been retired, how do we justify doing that for Naslund?
Would he even come back to Vancouver for that to be done, or would Gillis even consider it? Let’s remember Gillis let Naslund leave for New York.
One more thing on Gradin, it was due to his scouting that Burke drafted the Sedins and Edler. Maybe that doesn’t count much, but it shows how long Gradin continued to help the Canucks, long after his playing days were over…
One more thing on Gradin, it was due to his scouting that Burke drafted the Sedins and Edler. Maybe that doesn’t count much, but it shows how long Gradin continued to help the Canucks, long after his playing days were over…
That’s stretching a little. :)
by Sean Zandberg on May 6, 2009 5:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Sure, but...
Gradin was Swedish, clutch in the playoffs and played in a Stanley Cup Final. Naslund was a likeable player with a few good scoring years, but how is that any better than what Gradin accomplished.
To say that Naslund was a likable player with a few good scoring years is a gross understatement. Gradin has a slight edge over him in PPG as a Canuck, but that difference is only .04. Naslund was a superb forward, one of the NHL’s best, for the Canucks from 2000 to 2006. Check out the ‘02-03 season. Nazzy led a superb offense in the regular season with 104 points (104 points!). He led them again in the playoffs with 14 points in 14 games. Perhaps the main reason the ’Nucks had an early exit the playoffs that year was that Dan Cloutier posted a .868 save percentage in the playoffs (Yikes). And like you said, the ’81-82 team had King Richard. Who knows how far Naslund’s ‘02-03 team could’ve gone with a more competent goalie?
Gradin was a fantastic player, put up some great regular season numbers, and had a phenomenal playoffs in ‘81-82. It’s just that I think there’s more than enough evidence that, at this point, we have to give the nod to Naslund over Gradin. Now, granted, I never saw Gradin play. But one of the points of statistics is that we’re able to evaluate a player objectively without having actually seen them play.
I think that Naslund being a captain for so long counts for something.
I remember watching Gradin. He had sick hands and was so bloody creative.
by Sean Zandberg on May 8, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions
I vote no jersey retirement for any one else. Bure, Nazzy, and Gradin all were invaluable for the Canucks in their day, but there’s no way one can speak of them in the same breath as Linden or Smyl in terms of the totality of what they mean to the Canucks as a team. There are some players on the current roster who I hope one day might deserve to have their sweaters raised, we shall see. But no one else has earned it yet.
Sorry no Sundin
I suppose I should have added Mats Sundin to the poll. Oops, I forgot.
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