Vancouver Canucks center Henrik Sedin hasn’t recorded a goal, assist or shot on goal in two games since returning to the lineup, and that lack of production has landed him back on the injured list.
Canucks coach John Tortorella announced Thursday that Sedin will not play in Vancouver’s final two games before the Olympic break as the team tries to snap a five-game losing streak.
“We are shutting Henrik down for the next two games,” Tortorella said, via NHL.com. “He wants to play, but he’s not as effective as we need him to be right now.”
Though he leads the team with 31 assists and is tied with his brother, Daniel, for the team lead with 40 points, Sedin’s offensive game has been nonexistent of late. The Canucks captain, who missed the second half of January with a rib injury, has gone six games without a point and hasn’t scored a goal in his last 17 games, a slump that dates back to Dec. 17.
It has not yet been announced if Henrik will compete for Team Sweden when the Winter Olympics begin in Sochi next week, but Tortorella has made his preference known.
“To me — and I’ve been in these situations before — that is a family matter and that is the player’s matter,” Tortorella said. “That is his country, and it’s a very, very delicate situation. Right now, do I want him to go? Absolutely not. I’m thinking about our hockey club. But I am not having a conversation with him about that. That’s his call. That’s your country. So he’s going to have to work that out with his family and let us know what he wants to do.”
Sweden squares off against the Czech Republic in its Olympic opener Feb. 12.
Update: Sedin confirmed Thursday afternoon that will not be competing in Sochi, via Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy.
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