Long-time Vancouver Canuck Alex Edler’s contract has come to an end. Despite the thirty-five year old being vocal about his desire to return to the team.
“I still love the game. I still feel like I can play” says Edler. “I’ve been fortunate to play here my whole career. [It’s a] great place to live and play. Great fans”
The hometown favourite has been with the Canucks since the 2006/2007 season, totalling 925 regular season games. Elders best campaign came during the 2011/2012 season, showing a career high in goals (11) assists (38) points (49) and games played (82). The Canucks would go on to win the Presidents trophy for the second straight year that season, before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings.
The 6’3, 212 pound defenceman ranked third on the team amongst his position group in minutes played behind Tyler Myers and Quinn Hughes after leading the team in time spent on the ice in 2019.
( Government of Alberta / Flickr )
Edler has been a fan favourite for years now in Vancouver earned by his loyalty to the team, having never worn another sweater in the National Hockey League. With the uncertainty surrounding the contracts of general manager Jim Benning and head coach Travis Greene, the likelihood of Edler returning to the team remains a mystery. The Canucks have yet to approach Edler in regards to new contract negotiations and it seems unlikely for that to happen until the contracts in the front office and behind the bench are addressed first. Should the Canucks part ways with Benning or Greene (or both), it would put Edler’s position on the team in increased jeopardy. With the young star Hughes poised to enter his prime sooner rather than later, it appears the odds seem to be stacked against Edler and he could be looking for a new team to call home sooner rather than later.
The Canucks finished last in the North Division in their most recent campaign, after a season-long struggle with Covid-19 and hold the ninth best odds in the league to win the draft lottery.