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Has Edler Given Up?


Bagofcats

  

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Alexander Edler used to be a great defencemen with a lot of upside a few seasons ago but somewhere between then and now he has stopped improving. He's a below average skater, struggles with inconsistency and has poor coverage in the defensive zone. This much is not my opinion. This is obvious if you watch him throughout the game.

As parts of his offensive game improved over the last few years, those did not. How can such glaring weaknesses be ignored by him and the coaching staff? For a 1-2 defencemen on an elite team to have such problems is confusing and frustrating. He seems like he lacks focus and determination, sometimes even to the point of looking lost out there. I expect more from the soon to be highest paid defencemen on the team. If Edler is going to get 5 mill doesn't that mean Hamhuis deserves at least 6 since he is better at the position in almost every way?

Why haven't these parts of Edler's game improved? Does he not care that he is so easily exploited by other teams' forwards? A +/- of 0 when you lead the defence in points is concerning. I sure hope he turns it around. It's getting really hard to wear his jersey in public when there are fewer and fewer positives to say about him.

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It's because the organization still ignores the fact that the team needs a puck mover(Ehrhoff) and wants Edler to put up points and play like a power play quarterback. He's got above average speed for his size, but he isn't a smooth nor fast enough skater to be a effective puck mover.

Don't look too far ahead. Looks like Hamhuis is following in Edler's footsteps. Since when did you ever see Hamhuis this offensive in his career? Tanev isn't too far behind, he's starting to jump into plays too. Next thing you know, Garrison is going get a crack at being a puck mover.

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NO!

This guy needs to wake up and play the way we know he can. I like him paired with a reliable right hand defender like Tanev. He needs better timing and to be more physical. The offense will come but I want to see him play the puck well in his own zone first and play his man. Defense first.

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Pro athletes don't just suddenly 'give up'.... there's usually an explanation. Players play through injuries, go through slumps, have bad bounces go against them. The whole team's in a funk right now though... apart from Tanev, pretty much the entire defence core has been inconsistent the whole season. So I wouldn't pin it on just Edler - he's just become the new whipping boy, I guess. A couple of seasons ago it was Bieksa, then Ballard, then Garrison, and now its Edler. He'll improve, skills don't just vanish.

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Pro athletes don't just suddenly 'give up'.... there's usually an explanation. Players play through injuries, go through slumps, have bad bounces go against them. The whole team's in a funk right now though... apart from Tanev, pretty much the entire defence core has been inconsistent the whole season. So I wouldn't pin it on just Edler - he's just become the new whipping boy, I guess. A couple of seasons ago it was Bieksa, then Ballard, then Garrison, and now its Edler. He'll improve, skills don't just vanish.

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Pro athletes don't just suddenly 'give up'.... there's usually an explanation. Players play through injuries, go through slumps, have bad bounces go against them. The whole team's in a funk right now though... apart from Tanev, pretty much the entire defence core has been inconsistent the whole season. So I wouldn't pin it on just Edler - he's just become the new whipping boy, I guess. A couple of seasons ago it was Bieksa, then Ballard, then Garrison, and now its Edler. He'll improve, skills don't just vanish.

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Don't forget Tanev plays a safe type of hockey. He's not a high risk and high reward type player. He's not built like that, he barely even hits if he does i dont notice it. Ballard on the other hand is misused as he should be a more high risk high reward type defense man with his skating. At least that's what I thought we were getting when we trade two first rounders for him. The other d are not stay at home defense they are bound to make mistakes. However, i definitely think Edler needs improved on mistakes he makes in the defensive zone. But most of the d do too.

I think all eyes will be on Edler now as he's the top paid d if I'm correct.

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Alexander Edler used to be a great defencemen with a lot of upside a few seasons ago but somewhere between then and now he has stopped improving. He's a below average skater, struggles with inconsistency and has poor coverage in the defensive zone. This much is not my opinion. This is obvious if you watch him throughout the game.

As parts of his offensive game improved over the last few years, those did not. How can such glaring weaknesses be ignored by him and the coaching staff? For a 1-2 defencemen on an elite team to have such problems is confusing and frustrating. He seems like he lacks focus and determination, sometimes even to the point of looking lost out there. I expect more from the soon to be highest paid defencemen on the team. If Edler is going to get 5 mill doesn't that mean Hamhuis deserves at least 6 since he is better at the position in almost every way?

Why haven't these parts of Edler's game improved? Does he not care that he is so easily exploited by other teams' forwards? A +/- of 0 when you lead the defence in points is concerning. I sure hope he turns it around. It's getting really hard to wear his jersey in public when there are fewer and fewer positives to say about him.

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Edler has worked his A off to get to this level. A man like that doesn't just give up.

He deserves and has earned some patience from the coaching staff.

He sacrificed his back for god sake.

That could still be an issue, who knows.

You are all the same people that bashed Raymond too I bet.

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There is a difference between feeling 100 per cent and playing 100 per cent. Alex Edler can live with discomfort – and probably will have to – as long as he can play at full throttle in the National Hockey League.

During the lockout, he has pains but no games. But Edler is well enough to be declared fit by the Vancouver Canucks after the defenceman spent three months re-rehabilitating a back injury caused by a bulging disc.

For now, this means two things: Edler no longer gets paid during the owners’ lockout, and he can show solidarity with his union brothers by wearing a NHL Players’ Association practice jersey instead of a Canuck sweater during ice sessions.

“You know what?” Edler said Monday when asked about coming off the dole. “I would much, much rather be healthy and not getting paid. That’s the most important. It’s absolutely terrible to not be able to be out there with the guys because I’m hurt. I would give back all my paycheques if I could have been 100 per cent healthy.”

Edler required back surgery two years ago and missed the final 2 ½ months of the regular season. His back problems resurfaced at the end of this summer when Edler ramped up the intensity of his training.

Still, before the Collective Bargaining Agreement’s expiration on Sept. 15 triggered the start of the lockout, the Canucks made a long-term contract offer that would have boosted Edler’s average salary to the level of the team’s highest-paid defencemen. Garrison and Canuck Kevin Bieksa have cap hits of $4.6-million.

Edler and Point Roberts-based agent Mark Stowe took a mighty risk turning it down, since the next CBA will likely contain contract restrictions that did not previously exist, as well as a significantly lower salary cap.

Edler admitted Monday that he may never feel “100 per cent,” that his back may always be sore.

“Any injury you have that’s coming back, you get a little extra cautious,” Edler said. “But we’ve got great doctors here and we’ve been talking a lot. Obviously, it’s been very frustrating. But you’ve got to trust the doctors that it’s going to heal, probably not to 100 per cent. But I wasn’t 100 per cent last year, either, and I played all 82 games.”

Canuck assistant general manager Laurence Gilman said there is always some concern with back injuries, but isn’t worried about Edler’s assertion that he may never feel 100 per cent healthy.

“I think that’s accepting the fact that there may always be a level of discomfort,” Gilman said. “That’s no different than a lot of players. Hockey is a physical game every game. At some point, we’re going to play again and we’ll see how Alex performs. We would not clear him (medically) if we didn’t strongly believe he’s ready to play.”

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