nuck luck Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 For those of you who are so eager to trade our key players.... and let's try and keep this in mind before the "trade Burrs, The Badger, Twins", etc. If the proposal is heavily in our favor, sure, but we don't gain a thing if we trade good solid players when they go through slumps and the returns would be minimal. Alexander Edler's Revival and What It Means for the Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are sitting pretty at second in the Western Conference and while a lot of the credit for this success is being heaped upon players like the Sedins, Ryan Miller, and Nick Bonino, an integral piece to the picture is getting somewhat overlooked: Alexander Edler Alexander Edler was one of the many players to come under fire at the end of last season and maybe rightfully so. He was not playing up to his potential that he flashed in previous seasons nor was he playing up to his $5 million cap hit. And as the new season begins to head into December, Edler hasnt been as much of a pariah as he was a year ago. Sometimes for defensemen, no news is good news. By the Numbers I know the plus minus stat gets some hate for being illegitimate, but when a player is -39 for the season, thatll draw some attention. (Icon SMI) Such was the case of Alexander Edler a season ago. His -39 drew, sometimes, undeserved criticism because the entire team wasnt very good down the stretch. But such is the case when a supposed number one defenseman posts a number like that. Edlers corsi for rating a year ago, however, was 52.4%, which means while he was on the ice, the Canucks put more shots towards the opponents net than shots they gave up. So here we come to a discrepancy: an indication of an individuals poor performance as well as an indication that maybe he was better than the -39 suggests. Make with that what you will, but nevertheless Edler wasnt playing well enough for the Canucks to be successful. Fast-forward a year from now and Edler, especially with Dan Hamhuis on the shelf, needed to and has been playing like the Canucks number one defenseman. Alexander Edlers plus minus is finally in the green at +5 and his corsi for percentage has improved to 54.4%. But what has Edler done differently that has made him a more successful this year? A Closer Look For starters, Alexander Edler has always been a pretty good passer. When he struggles, he gets in his own way and coughs up the puck in dangerous areas all too frequently. But when hes on, he can start a rush from just about anywhere on the ice. And in Willie Desjardins new system, a passer with that type of skill on the back end is key. Edler has been more aggressive this year, both offensively and defensively, which plays well with Desjardins up tempo system. Fast-forward to 2:36 and youll see Edler aggressively making a stop at his own blue line and then moving the Canucks in the right direction. The turnover Edler forces with his aggressive play leads Vancouver to a fast break and a goal. Another example of such came when Edler joined the rush he started against Chicago this past weekend. Edler made the defensive play, quickly moved the puck to Daniel Sedin and still had the presence of mind to continue his rush up the ice. Willie Desjardins likes his team to move out of their own zone with pace, and so far Edler has been a factor in doing just that. Edler is not the most out spoken defensemen in the league nor is he known as a puck moving defensemen. But early in this season he has been making smart and aggressive plays that turn into quick rushes going the other way. One area I would like to see Edler excel more in, and Im sure this is true with most fans, is the physical side of the game. Edler has been using the body more often this season, but if he were to do so more consistently hed allow the Canucks to match up better the bigger teams, such as the L.A. Kings and Anaheim Ducks. Alexander Edler is playing well defensively and creating offense going the other way, which has helped him become a better all around player so far this season. Alexander Edler and Mental Toughness Alexander Edler. (Wikimedia Commons) Alex Edler has hall the natural tools to be a successful NHL defenseman: a big shot, size and decent skating ability. He just sometimes looks lost, gets in his own way, and lacks consistency, which can point to a lack of mental toughness. But when hes on, hes a great defenseman. Canucks management has given him a vote of confidence and he now plays in a system where his tools can flourish. Without Hamhuis, or a real bonafide number one defenseman, the Canucks have turned to Edler to fill that role. That places an incredible amount of importance on Edlers play. All signs, so far, point to Edler being able to keep his re-found game up. Hopefully, for the Canucks sake, Edler does just that.http://thehockeywriters.com/alexander-edlers-revival-and-what-it-means-for-the-canucks/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far_raf Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Sorry, could I request that you convert that wall of text into something readable. I might even read it then. far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kacvan Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 That was a good read. I agree that Edler has turned his game around this year and it looking like the Edler of old who we all know could be an all-star player. I hope that he can keep up his play especially with Hamhuis out for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuck luck Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Sorry, could I request that you convert that wall of text into something readable. I might even read it then. far Fixed... apologies. I don't know why, but when I post things on CDC....occasionally it will come out as a wall of text? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supermanbieksa Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 It's great to see Edler playing as good as we all know he's capable of. He's been a real stud, blocking shots, minimal mistakes, starts rushes and all around good defensive play. Only thing I'd like to see improve is his play on the PP. If he could improve his point production to the same level as when he had his best offensive seasons I'd consider him as a top 10 defenseman in the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuck luck Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 That was a good read. I agree that Edler has turned his game around this year and it looking like the Edler of old who we all know could be an all-star player. I hope that he can keep up his play especially with Hamhuis out for a while. Fingers crossed... but, we need to credit WD for the turnaround, I think. So far, I'm impressed with his play since Hamuis' injury and if he could consistently lay down a few more hits like he had on Hall...it would bode well for the Playoffs. We should also mention Sbisa's improvement since the pre-season, I'm so glad we got WD. JSchultz is a healthy scratch next game, maybe WD can teach him to play D? But, the cost might be too high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
far_raf Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Thank you converting the wall. I think Edler - has / is - converting himself into a a major factor on the team. Good to see this. Far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarGirl Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Read this already on the official article, but still a good read again. I'm happy Edler improved! I was very disappointed in him last season as he had -39 when he became my favourite D after Ehrhoff... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Sparkle Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 he really wasn't THAT bad last season. he was usually counted on logging those heavy minutes with hammer and juice since he was always relied upon those heavy minutes i have started to noticed towards the end of last season, when the team was mathematically out, his game started to improve, but the team was still all around very bad. he started to improve, to the point where i noticed a dip in those insane drop passes on the PP that's plagued our tv screens. granted, he still does it today but i've noticed he's a little more smart at it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Light Racicot Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 He has been much improved, I hope he keeps it rolling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Kneel Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Coach Willie and Coach Lidster have earned some praise in this as well.good on Edler and +5! I have avoided checking his plus minus because of last season's debacle. But I agree that with some shooting strategy on the PP would help Edler get more points.(Not sure how but maybe shooting for accuracy and through screens more?plus I think he has been taking something off his shot to avoid injuring our forwards on the PP..conjecture I know but I think it was an issue esp with Daniel as a PP screen) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillipBlunt Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Edler has been a revelation this year. Excellent defenceman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 he really wasn't THAT bad last season. he was usually counted on logging those heavy minutes with hammer and juice since he was always relied upon those heavy minutes i have started to noticed towards the end of last season, when the team was mathematically out, his game started to improve, but the team was still all around very bad. he started to improve, to the point where i noticed a dip in those insane drop passes on the PP that's plagued our tv screens. granted, he still does it today but i've noticed he's a little more smart at it I dunno man. Wasn't that bad? I think on average he'd give the puck away which lead to a scoring chance at least 2-3 times a game last year. I don't even know how many times he got beat one on one too. It's like his brain was injured... All... Year... Long.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.53 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Good read. Edler is our most valuable defencman if you ask me. (That's why I wanted him traded, but only for a huge return to kind of have a Ryan Kesler trade like spark.) But he really has all the tools. Last year was a bad year, and I'm glad he's back on track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DalesArmy Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Good read OP. Alex has definitely improved his game under WD's system. We can't forget Doug Lidster's influence. His input on our defensive game has been really noticeable. Exciting times ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry Goose Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Still my fav Canuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patchoball Cannons Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Edler has always been a good player for us. Last year was just a blip in the radar and in my opinion had everything to do with the beating he took from the worst coach in the history of our organization. From what I heard through the rumor mill. Torts relentlessly belittled Edler and rode him hard all year, destroying any confidence he had. Add that to the fact he was coming of major back surgery, and it's no wonder he had such a tough season. So glad to see players having bounce back years (Edler, Burrows, Sedins, Hansen, even Weise in Montreal), all it does is prove, the problem last year wasn't the players it was the coach. Hope he never lands another gig in the league, Bush league coaches should stay were they belong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nix Nihil Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Edler has always been a good player for us. Last year was just a blip in the radar and in my opinion had everything to do with the beating he took from the worst coach in the history of our organization. From what I heard through the rumor mill. Torts relentlessly belittled Edler and rode him hard all year, destroying any confidence he had. Add that to the fact he was coming of major back surgery, and it's no wonder he had such a tough season. So glad to see players having bounce back years (Edler, Burrows, Sedins, Hansen, even Weise in Montreal), all it does is prove, the problem last year wasn't the players it was the coach. Hope he never lands another gig in the league, Bush league coaches should stay were they belong! Tortorella to replace Eakins in Edmonton? They need a shake-up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orcasfan Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Good post. However, on one hand you say that Edler is "not known as a puck-moving defenseman", and, on the other, say that "he's always been a pretty good passer." Contradicting yourself there. There's no doubt in my mind that Edler has always been a very good puck-mover, and his outlet passes (especially with the twins on the ice) are usually spot-on. I think it's a big mistake to use last season as a basis for any comparison for Edler's performance this year. (Actually, that probably applies to most of the team who are still here!). Last season should be seen as a real outlier. One of the factors that you failed to emphasize has been the coupling of Edler with Tanev this year. That pairing has probably been the top defensive pairing so far this season. It seems to be a pairing made in heaven! Their strengths complement each other so well. And Tanev is just going to get better and better. I think we can expect these guys to be a true #1 D pair for the next few years. In that context, I expect Edler to finally become the D-man he has the capacity to become. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckledraggin Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 The most telling thing for me about last year, was the exit interview of Torts at the end of the season. He said that he really didn't know how to use Edler. Well it's apparent that WD does know how to use him. Add Lidster as an assistant coach and Edler has been given the recipe for success. Great to see him find his game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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