In a signing that part of me is very surprised at, long-time Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman Alexander Edler signed as a UFA with the Los Angeles Kings. For the first time in his 15-year NHL career, the community-minded Edler won’t be a fixture in Vancouver. Edler signed a one-year contract for $3.5 million. I honestly thought that Edler’s ties to the greater-Vancouver community would mean that he’d stay there for the duration of his NHL career.
Not so. In the end, Edler leaves Vancouver having played 925 NHL games with the Canucks. He didn’t quite hit the 100-goal mark in his career, ending with 99 goals. He also added 310 assists for 409 points in those games.
There Was a Hint that this Might Be Coming
Although there was a hint that Edler might be moving, the writing wasn’t on the wall. Still when the Canucks’ traded for fellow-Swedish defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, it seemed there might not be room for both Ekman-Larsson and Edler in the same defensive corps. Just over a week ago, Edler’s agent Mark Stowe reported that Edler would become an unrestricted free agent on July 28. He did, and it didn’t take long for a response.
Edler’s value was obvious on the free agent market. Although his value might have dipped after a poor offensive season in 2020-21, where he only registered eight assists in 52 games, the 35-year-old defenseman is the very definition of steady. He eats up big minutes and will add to the Kings more veteran leadership.
Good Luck to Edler in Los Angeles
As a resident of Vancouver Island and a watcher of the Canucks, I know that Edler’s play has been appreciated in the British Columbia area. I wish him luck with his new team.
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