Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Canucks’ Linden wants to work with struggling Edler rather than trade him

Vancouver Canucks v New York Islanders

UNIONDALE, NY - OCTOBER 22: Alexander Edler #23 of the Vancouver Canucks skates against the New York Islanders at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on October 22, 2013 in Uniondale, New York. The Canucks defeated the Islanders 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alexander Edler

Getty Images

Alex Edler struggled mightily last season. That’s stating the obvious. He never seemed to find his way under head coach John Tortorella, who was fired after one season in Vancouver.

A suspension early in the season and an injury contributed to the difficulties of the 28-year-old Swedish defenseman in 2013-14. He finished the season with a league-worst minus-39 rating, although the validity of that statistic has come under fire in recent years with the rise on analytics. His contributions offensively were also well below what he’s done in the past, with 22 points in 63 games. That was his same point total from the 45 games he played during the 2013 lockout-shortened season.

His name has also come up in trade speculation (that includes last summer and at this year’s March deadline). He’s about to enter the second year of a six-year, $30 million contract that includes a no-trade clause, as per Capgeek.com.

But it seems that with the newly forming Trevor Linden era, the plan is keep Edler and continue to try and develop his game back rather than deal him.

“He’d be the first to admit he didn’t have a good year, and part of our job is to recapture the Alex Edler that we all know he can be. He has the skill-set that every team wants and we just have to get him back where he should be,” said Linden, as per The Province newspaper in Vancouver.

“There isn’t a team in the league that wouldn’t have its hand up for the opportunity to have an Alex Edler. It’s not in our consideration. We want to work with Alex; we have to get his game back, and I know he’s committed to doing that.”

Follow @CamTucker_Metro