“Become who you are” – this was Nietzsche’s slogan for the idea that we as individuals have the ability to create and choose out of what we have to work with. We are all born like a piece of clay that already has its unique shape, and it is up to us to do the best we can to sculpt ourselves from it.

After watching Alex Edler in Game One, I was both astonished at just how much original material he has to work with and dismayed by how rarely and how inconsistently he puts it all to use.

He was an all-around force in that first game, excelling in all parts of the game. For 60 minutes, he had fashioned himself into a near perfect defenseman – a work of art on the ice.

It’s scary to think what all that potential could amount to if it was actualized game in and game out. Let’s hope he takes counsel of Nietzsche’s advice and gives us all something unique to admire for years to come.