from Jeff Paterson of the Vancouver Province,

For those who believe the Vancouver Canucks will peddle Daniel and Henrik Sedin ahead of next year’s trade deadline, I hope you’re watching the National Hockey League playoffs closely. While there is a certain romanticism to the notion of giving the twins the chance to compete for the Stanley Cup one more — and quite likely one final — time, please take a moment to consider this: now more than ever, the NHL post-season is a young man’s game, and the numbers back that up.

Heading into the weekend, only one of the top 36 scorers in these playoffs is over the age of 32. Washington’s Justin Williams, getting long in the tooth at 35 and with nine points to his credit, is the only player over 32 still skating this spring who has managed to generate offence with any kind of regularity.

So find me the NHL general manager out there who thinks a pair of soon to be 37-year-olds is what his team is missing to get it over the hump. Better yet, show me the NHL owner in a hurry to sign off on the suggestion of parting with draft picks or prospects to acquire those same veterans who by next spring will be seven full years removed from any kind of playoff success.

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