Injuries continue to be a concern for the Vancouver Canucks.
It appears Alex Edler could become the latest casualty, following Saturday’s shootout win in Colorado.
The Canucks website on Sunday had Edler listed on injured reserve. He played just 3:59 on Saturday, in the final game of a three-game road trip, after reportedly blocking a shot with his hand.
Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun reported that Edler will have X-rays in Vancouver, but head coach Willie Desjardins didn’t seem optimistic about the pending status of his defenseman.
Not having Edler in the lineup would be a significant loss for the Canucks, especially with Chris Tanev already out due to injury since Nov. 2.
Without Edler for the bulk of Saturday’s game, Ben Hutton was asked to play just over 26 minutes. Luca Sbisa, Troy Stecher, Erik Gudbranson and Nikita Tryamkin were all asked to each play more than 20 minutes, which is taxing considering Vancouver was playing in the second half of a back-to-back situation on the road.
Stecher continues to impress, despite being considered an undersized defender with rookie status. But Desjardins has shown little trepidation using Stecher in high-pressure situations.
An injury to Edler could mean the return of Philip Larsen to the lineup.
A right-shot defenseman brought in to run the power play from the point, Larsen has struggled defensively while recording only four assists, including only two on the power play.
The Canucks play the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.