UPDATE: And justice is done. For the record? It’s embarrassing it took this long. But it’s the right thing.

***

It’s no secret that I’m a Trevor Linden fan, just as it’s no secret that my roommate plans to marry him, against all odds.

He’s a natural leader, a mental and emotional anchor for a young team, and a hardworking player who — while he may not generate marquee stats in every game, or any game — shows strength, determination and wisdom on the ice. That’s a rare set of qualities in today’s NHL. He’s old-school, he’s clutch, he’s Captain Vancouver… he’s our Trev.

But that doesn’t seem to be enough for our management right now.

Sure, we all like flashy players who rack up huge point totals, partly because they’re fun to watch, and partly because we need those points to win games. The Canucks haven’t had that kind of star power in a long time, what with the painful demise of Naslund’s enthusiasm, and the relative humility of Luongo and the Sedin twins.

Not that they don’t bring the plays that keep us afloat, but they certainly don’t showboat after every goal — or go from the locker room to the pages of tabloid rags — like 90′s sensation Pavel Bure.

That kind of bandwagon-candy glitz is why many people still say that the Canucks were at their best when Bure was lighting up the ice, but I think the best is truly yet to come with our team.

We’re in a huge development phase: our roster features a group of young players who are still discovering their areas of strength, some (fairly) skilled veterans who could use a serious boost in intensity, and a goalie who is breathtaking on his best days… and still pretty damn reliable on his worst!

If we can harness all that post-teenage energy, light a fire under the older guys, and add a strong dose of discipline and skills development to the mix, I think we’re in a position to make big things happen.

I’ve got faith, at least.

What I don’t have faith in is our Captain.

Markus Naslund was a tremendous disappointment during our playoff run this year, and a relative non-starter in many games this season.

There’s really no other way to say it; the totals weren’t there (at least according to his previous standard), and his leadership was so passive as to seem absent at times. There’s no question that he CAN be a HUGE asset to the Canucks, but we haven’t seen him achieve consistently at that level in a while. I think he could use a wake-up call.

Regardless, I’ve long been a believer in the notion that hockey captains don’t need to be the strongest scorers or the most glamourous performers on their teams.

What they do need is a powerful voice in the locker room and on the bench, a sense of honour and gravity in their play, and the ability to take a diverse group of egos and personalities and skill levels and motivate them in the same direction. If Naslund had those strengths, I’d be more willing to excuse the weak performance in other areas. But it’s simply not there to the extent the we need it now.

So who has it?

Trevor Linden. As yet unsigned.

Our management will continue to add players to fill skill holes in the team, and even inject a bit of flash and drama into the roster to keep the media buzzing. I wouldn’t expect any less; hockey is a business as well as a game, after all, with two bottom lines: stats and ticket sales.

But if they continue to treat one of the best leaders on our team like an old horse who may or may not get another lap around the track, they’re doing a huge disservice to the morale of the organization… not to mention turning a blind eye to the wishes of the fans who pay their salaries every year.

We need someone who can reign in all the inconsistencies we’ve seen on the ice for a couple of years now, and turn our rag-tag group of possibilities into a unified, passionate outfit. I don’t think I’m overestimating Linden’s character when I say that he’s the man for the job.

And I don’t think I’m overestimating the idiocy of the way he’s been dealt with when I call it a slap in the face.

We need to stop angling for the next big thing or the next quick fix, and put some dollars and time into building the mental stability of our team. That’s where we fall apart. We lack the mettle that counts when we’re behind in the third period, or facing a Game Seven. We lack the stuff that makes good players great, and the legacy-building spirit that turns teams into dynasties.

Isn’t that what we want for our Canucks?

So hurry up and sign one of Vancouver’s finest, and — even if you don’t slap a C on that new jersey, because I doubt he’d take it from Nazzy anyway — give him a chance to be our hero for another season.

We have a crucial opportunity to build on our successes and address our major flaws in a meaningful way this year, but it’s going to take someone who gets the bigger picture to take us to that next level.

And take us all the way to the Cup.

We love you, Trev, no matter what happens.