Naslund started his path to the NHL with MoDo, the highest level junior league of Sweden, where he was a linemate of another future NHLer Peter Forsberg. In 1991, Naslund was drafted 16th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, ten spots behind Forsberg. However, Naslund would not join the Penguins until after a contract dispute was settled prior to the 1993-94 season. The Pittsburgh years were difficult, as even with the likes of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Ron Francis on the team, Naslund could not find much success on the team. On March 20, 1996, he was traded to Vancouver in exchange for Alek Stojanov, another first round pick from 1991. As for numbers, he wore number 29 in Pittsburgh because 19 was occupied by Bryan Trottier and wore 22 the first year with Vancouver because Tim Hunter had number 19 at the time. He would wear number 19 beginning with the 1996-97 season. The first few years as a Canuck weren't kind to him, as he had still yet to discover his offensive scoring prowess. The 1997-98 season wasn't helped much by Mike Keenan's arrival as head coach. Back to back 60 point seasons in the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons would signal the beginning of the light coming on for Naslund. He was named captain in the Summer of 2000, and the offensive numbers would go even higher.
In 2002, the West Coast Express was born, with Naslund being on a line with Todd Bertuzzi and Brendan Morrison. That union would benefit Naslund greatly, as in the 2002-03 season, he would record 103 points, a career high, and win the Lester B. Pearson award and finish second in the Hart Trophy voting to, guess who, Peter Forsberg. The 2003-04 season was an up and down season for Naslund, as he recorded 84 points, but lose Bertuzzi in a much publicized incident where he went too far in retaliation against Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche. The lockout season saw him go back to MoDo for that season, and the 2005-06 season would see him record 79 points for the Canucks, which would be the last time he recorded above 70 points. Afterwards, his offensive number began to decline, but his leadership qualities did not. Until he left for the New York Rangers in the 2008 offseason, he had helped fellow Swedes Henrik and Daniel Sedin get adjusted to Vancouver, and his knowledge from being captain would not only help players like the Sedins, but also Roberto Luongo. Luongo would take over the captain duties when Naslund left after the 2007-08 season, and in 2010, Henrik Sedin would take over the captain duties. As for Naslund, his year in New York was forgettable, and he retired from the NHL after the season. He would go on to play one more year in Sweden before retiring for good.
Naslund's impact on the Canucks wasn't just in his scoring, as he was captain when one of the most popular Canucks Trevor Linden returned to the team in 2001. As Linden did for Naslund, offering some advice and help, Naslund did for the Sedins and Luongo. Naslund was a captain that led by example, preferring to let his actions on the ice do the talking. His number 19 is being retired alongside other Canuck greats Stan Smyl and Linden. While Smyl is in the Hall of Fame and Linden is unlikely to be in the Hall of Fame, putting up the great numbers in Vancouver isn't as important as being the player everyone looks up to, from players to coaches to fans, and that is what connects all three to the city of Vancouver.
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