Canucks Army Player Profiles: Alex Edler

View image | gettyimages.com

Alex Edler gained a fair bit of notoriety in 2013-14, earning the league’s “green jacket”, by posting the league’s worst plus-minus: a dreadful minus-39. Even detractors of the plus-minus stat would have to admit that being on the ice for so many more goals against than goals for is a terrible way to hockey. A bounce back season in 2014-15 was cited as a necessity if the Canucks were to return to any level of success.

Well, bounce back he did. Paired with the calm and cool Chris Tanev, the Robin to Edler’s Batman, Alex Edler returned to form as a top pairing defender last season. While the Canucks have always lacked a true stud defenceman, Alex Edler has his place in the top tier of Vancouver blueliners.

Edler hails from the town of Ostersund, Sweden. During his draft year, he was largely an unknown prospect, going unranked by NHL Central Scouting. He was noticed by Thomas Gradin, one of the Canucks European scouts and a former top line centre for Vancouver.

While Gradin noted that most of the team was of beer league quality, Edler was a standout. He encouraged the Canucks to take a chance on Edler, and so the Canucks drafted Edler in the third round, 91st overall. Edler even wears the same number as Gradin wore for the Canucks in the 80’s, chosen in honour of the scout who discovered him – though the number was chosen by the training staff, rather than the notoriously soft-spoken blueliner.

Edler’s HERO chart demonstrates a level of production that is a little bit lackluster for a top pairing defender. A look back at his chart from the 2011-2013 period reminds us of what he is capable of:

Edler struggled heavily in the Tortorella year, but at 29 years old, he is not yet past his best before date. After a quiet start and middle last year, Edler finished the season with 15 points in 14 games, showing that he still has the potential to produce at a high level. He’ll need to do that, as Vancouver is a team that has been lacking in production from the back end.

This team, Edler’s production will probably be somewhat tied to the Sedins and the success of the Canucks’ powerplay. With the youth movement finally populating the second unit, it may not even be a necessity for Edler to be on the top unit to get points – although that’s where he’s begun the season.

If Edler can remain healthy, he should trend towards the 40-point barrier again, a mark he has surpassed twice in his career. Beyond his scoring ability, the team will look to Edler to be a physical presence – an area in which he can be a terrifying force, though usually just for short periods of time. In any case, Edler has a large effect on the games he plays in and the Canucks are a substantially better team when he’s in the lineup – a point highlighted by his absence in the Canucks’ Saturday game against Calgary.