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EDMONTON — There was no bolt of lightning from the heavens, no angels and orchestra, no ceremony or decree.

But for the first time since 2006, Daniel and Henrik Sedin are second-line players on the Canucks. As they should be at this stage.

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If the 36-year-olds continue in the NHL beyond next season, the two greatest scorers in Canuck history — eight points shy of 2,000 between them — will probably have to play even farther down the lineup.

We all knew this was coming. The Sedins knew this was coming. It’s hockey’s life cycle, natural and unstoppable.

The succession occurring at the top of the Canucks’ lineup was trumpeted Saturday by Willie Desjardins, not in word but in deed as the Vancouver coach pooled his top-three goal-scorers on one line, which contained no Sedin.

Bo Horvat has been the Canucks’ best forward for a couple of months now and has pulled regular linemate Sven Baertschi along with him. But when Desjardins took right-winger Markus Granlund from the Sedins and deployed him with Horvat and Baertschi against the Edmonton Oilers, the change in hierarchy was indisputable.