Patrick Kane Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Alex Edler has been struggling it's a known fact. Many fans believe guys like Stanton/Tanev have showed a more sound, steady game. That may be true, but Edler is in a position he's never been in before. This season: Off Zone Start Percent: 49% Previous seasons: Off Zone Start Percent: 56.6%, 57.8%, 59.6% It shows that Edler is being leaned on more heavily in the defensive zone. Edler was amongst NHL leaders in Off Zone starts for defensemen prior to this season. This season: Corsi Rel QoC: .810 Previous seasons: 0.489, 0.597, -0.021 This Season: Corsi QoC: 3.027 Previous Seasons: -.579, -0.319, -.605 Edler is facing tougher competition, when in years past it was Hamhuis/Garrison, Hamhuis/Bieksa and Mitchell/Bieksa. For the most part of his career he's been on the 2nd pair with Salo/Ohlund. It could be a good or bad thing. Putting Edler in tough situations will be the only way for him to become a legitimate #1 defenseman... But he isn't handling it well. People bring up blocked shots, takeaways and what not, but playing those tough minutes will inflate those stats. Edler is the most offensively gifted defender, but he's being used as a shutdown guy right now. What are your thoughts on it? Should Edler be playing these tough minutes even though he isn't accustomed to it, or should he because he's the most 'valuable' defender and needs to log and play those minutes. Tanev, Stanton, Bieksa are looking good right now, but they would be in the same situation if they played in Edler's spot... Only person that has proven to handle it is Kevin Bieksa. My ideal pairings: DAN HAMHUIS - JASON GARRISON / KEVIN BIEKSA ALEX EDLER - CHRIS TANEV / JASON GARRISON RYAN STANTON - CHRIS TANEV / KEVIN BIEKSA My main point is, keep Edler on that 2nd pairing. Hamhuis is a proven top pairing shutdown defenseman, so let him be that and regain his game. That's when he's at his best. Edler is at his best when he's putting up 50pts with a steady defensive game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Grimes Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Truth be told, I don't believe Alex Edler is suited to Torts' coaching style. I believe Alex Edler is too passive as a person and a player for his tastes. In my opinion, we don't see anywhere near enough of the Edler that knocked the living hell out of Doughty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindChaser Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Edler is at a point of his career where he no longer needs sheltered minutes.., he's getting paid like our top D and if he can't do that regularly then it's time to re-consider our other options Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRussianRocket. Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Agree that Edler should be used more offensively since that's his specialty, but it's not Torts fault he's been sucking. Edler has never been a good consistent dman even during AV's tenure here and his new contract was meant to be a discounted price for an all around good dman. Comparing that to now, it's not looking good. A defensemans job is to play defense and even if one is purely offensive minded, doesn't make up for the lack of defense. Every dman should at least be able to take defensive responsibility to the smallest degree no matter who you are. Not saying you have to be Godly defensively, but at the least be responsible. Edler can't do that and he's a -13 or so I believe. There really is no excuse for that and Torts is a guy that won't play favourites even if offensive is Edlers specialty, Torts is teaching the team to play a good team game before anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Heffy Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Agree that Edler should be used more offensively since that's his specialty, but it's not Torts fault he's been sucking. Edler has never been a good consistent dman even during AV's tenure here and his new contract was meant to be a discounted price for an all around good dman. Comparing that to now, it's not looking good. A defensemans job is to play defense and even if one is purely offensive minded, doesn't make up for the lack of defense. Every dman should at least be able to take defensive responsibility to the smallest degree no matter who you are. Not saying you have to be Godly defensively, but at the least be responsible. Edler can't do that and he's a -13 or so I believe. There really is no excuse for that and Torts is a guy that won't play favourites even if offensive is Edlers specialty, Torts is teaching the team to play a good team game before anything. Agree entirely. If Edler can't learn how to play defense, he belongs in the pressbox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 I think it's Sullivan that runs the D. Him and Torts have talked about Edler and with Edler and last game he responded well. So let's move on with that. We're gonna need Edler to thrive under pressure if we're gonna succeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Marchand Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 At some point, Edler needs to be able to handle playing against elite-level forwards. If the Canucks want to be able to beat the best teams in the league, they have to be able to shut down their offensive weapons, and on many of those teams (LA and San Jose in our division alone), those weapons are spread out over two lines. Edler's pairing has be able to take on one of those matchups because as good as Stanton and Bieksa have been, they can't be trusted in a shutdown role (provided these pairing stick). That being said, he could use more offensive zone starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucksnihilist Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 We need the old Edler back, the mean SOB we once thought was the best D-Man on the team... But that player is MIA for years now... years... (just like Kesler... and you wonder what is wrong with the team? the core isn't playing well beyond the sedins) anyways... good thing he is signed long-term with a no-trade. after all, he has been so consistent over the last few years, and playing so well, it just made sense to give him the no-trade... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newsflash Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Remember how good Edler was defensively in his first season? Ugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Faulk Yourself Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 It's sad to see Edler falter to the position he's in right now, at this point in his career. He's suppose to be entering his prime years. Not too long ago, he was our best defenceman, now he's nothing but a liability. Should he be in the position he is? He'll have to learn to be in it if the team's coaching staff see's fit. He is a defenseman after all. My opinion on why he's in that position is, that they're trying to get him familiar with the role, playing a more defensive-minded role rather than an offensive one. I don't think he'll remain in that position, as they should still try to utilize his strength in the end, but try to strengthen his weakness at the same time. It's all about how he'll adapt to it in the end if that is the case. We've already seen a part of Edler that we used to love disappear, his hitting. I think the last thing we want to see is his offense disappear as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benchsplinters Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Alex Edler has been struggling it's a known fact. Many fans believe guys like Stanton/Tanev have showed a more sound, steady game. That may be true, but Edler is in a position he's never been in before. This season: Off Zone Start Percent: 49% Previous seasons: Off Zone Start Percent: 56.6%, 57.8%, 59.6% It shows that Edler is being leaned on more heavily in the defensive zone. Edler was amongst NHL leaders in Off Zone starts for defensemen prior to this season. This season: Corsi Rel QoC: .810 Previous seasons: 0.489, 0.597, -0.021 This Season: Corsi QoC: 3.027 Previous Seasons: -.579, -0.319, -.605 Edler is facing tougher competition, when in years past it was Hamhuis/Garrison, Hamhuis/Bieksa and Mitchell/Bieksa. For the most part of his career he's been on the 2nd pair with Salo/Ohlund. It could be a good or bad thing. Putting Edler in tough situations will be the only way for him to become a legitimate #1 defenseman... But he isn't handling it well. People bring up blocked shots, takeaways and what not, but playing those tough minutes will inflate those stats. Edler is the most offensively gifted defender, but he's being used as a shutdown guy right now. What are your thoughts on it? Should Edler be playing these tough minutes even though he isn't accustomed to it, or should he because he's the most 'valuable' defender and needs to log and play those minutes. Tanev, Stanton, Bieksa are looking good right now, but they would be in the same situation if they played in Edler's spot... Only person that has proven to handle it is Kevin Bieksa. My ideal pairings: DAN HAMHUIS - JASON GARRISON / KEVIN BIEKSA ALEX EDLER - CHRIS TANEV / JASON GARRISON RYAN STANTON - CHRIS TANEV / KEVIN BIEKSA My main point is, keep Edler on that 2nd pairing. Hamhuis is a proven top pairing shutdown defenseman, so let him be that and regain his game. That's when he's at his best. Edler is at his best when he's putting up 50pts with a steady defensive game. Sorry double posted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Remember how good Edler was defensively in his first season? Ugh. Maybe somebody can bring up some old corsirel and qualcomp numbers for that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Bang Boogie Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 His physical play has all but disappeared. He has to get this back or else he won't be an elite dman anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Oh. And offensive zone starts. My fav. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Faulk Yourself Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 His physical play has all but disappeared. He has to get this back or else he won't be an elite dman anymore. Unlikely. He's had injuries to his back that I imagine limit him from being as physical as he once was. He still hits, but not like he did back when we were facing the Blackhawks every playoff year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benchsplinters Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 I get a kick out of those who cannot determine were blame should be laid. Edler is not a rookie hockey player. He is now a seasoned defenseman who should have a solid understanding of how to play the game. In fact, he now has enough experience in the game to start mentoring younger players. Let's face it, Edler has had a few brain farts out there, mistakes that D men of his caliber and experience should not make. If you ran the practices of the Canucks and had conversation with them, one might be able to better qualify their self on who should play with who. I doubt that many are privy to that information, nor are qualified hockey coaches, so how can one ask the question is Torts missusing Edler. We are certainly entitled to an opinion, but I would rather prefer to leave where Edler plays and with whom up to one who is in the position and has the expertise to make that call and that is Torts. It never ceases to amaze me how many armchair GMs and Coaches exist in these threads Yes opinions are opinions and some are worthy of being shared but why do we have to be plagued with opinions that have no bases of thought, reasoning or commons sense. Suggestions that are not backed by knowledge or expertise or common sense but only a simple thought that has crept into a voided cavern on a moments notice and has done nothing else but only chalked up the tally of a post or thread count. It would have been much easier to ask "how high is up" or make the profound statement, "a wet bird never flys at night!" The guy who coined the phrase "there is no cure for stupid" was certainly right in saying so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillipBlunt Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Tortorella will get through to Edler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smashian Kassian Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 I'll just C/P this from the other Edler thread. Edler hasn't been nearly as bad as some people here are saying, I don't even think he's been bad this year. Seems like when things aren't going great for us, he's the guy everyone loves to hate on even if he's not an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outsiders Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Edler-Tanev problem sloved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhippy Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 I think edler is prime for a place like Washington, Florida, Phoenix, Montreal or Tampa. I truly think his back issues and Torts' style will hamper his game as he developed under and with AV only in one style of system in very simple situations. AV didn't use him the way Torts does and I think that his best option is bringing us back a glut of Prospects picks and cap space. Tampa would be very palatable both because Yzerman has an affinity for Swedish D-men, Salo is there and an Edler Salo pairing in the east would be beastly and Tampa has some nifty prospects and a potential top 10 pick this year if Stammer is injured for to long and the goalie tandem falter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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