I Think Alex Edler is a Liability

[Drewismyname]

14 minutes ago, The Lock said:

That's why his +/- is +5! Right? Right?

You're a funny guy. lol

EDIT: In fact, he hasn't been on the ice each time still. So you're not even giving out correct information. lol 

Sorry, you're right. Fixed!

 

 

[Canucks Prophet]

This is my favourite thread at the moment. Very interesting debates going on! 

[Drewismyname]

33 minutes ago, Canucks Prophet said:

This is my favourite thread at the moment. Very interesting debates going on! 

For those of us who actually think a defender's primary job is defense, and that the team starts at the goalie and works its way out from there, pretty obvious that Edler is a sieve and in fact a huge liability.

Doesn't matter how many goals the Sedins score when Edler is manning the point if he doesn't stop screening his goalie, giving the puck away in the neutral zone, and getting walked by the other teams forwards at the blue line, we will not win the cup. 

[PhillipBlunt]

25 minutes ago, Drewismyname said:

For those of us who actually think a defender's primary job is defense, and that the team starts at the goalie and works its way out from there, pretty obvious that Edler is a sieve and in fact a huge liability.

Doesn't matter how many goals the Sedins score when Edler is manning the point if he doesn't stop screening his goalie, giving the puck away in the neutral zone, and getting walked by the other teams forwards at the blue like, we will not win the cup. 

With Edler, I think it's a mental issue. I believe that he is a very smart person when you hear him in interviews. He does lack that killer instinct and the ability to bring the same effort level to each game. His overall game lacks and intensity or urgency, outside of mad scrambling.

He has two primary issues to his game that bring this heat down on him more than anything.

• A lack of consistency to his play, mainly from a physical perspective, and
• His puck handling or lack thereof.

He does boast a hard, accurate shot that is a real welcome weapon on the PP, and can feather a nice, clean pass when the opportunity knocks. Those attributes are evident on a fairly regular basis. The guy is good enough to warrant $5 M per season, and make it in the NHL for near a decade now.

He doesn't take the body near enough for a defenseman of his supposed calibre, though. I've seen him deal crushing hits not only to Patrick Kane and Drew Doughty, but also readily handle the likes of Taylor Hall and Anze Kopitar. However that physical element can also take extended absences, with the most recent absence being against the Flames last spring. He was neutralized by Michael Ferland. That shouldn't have happened

His play around Miller and Markstrom is also not very good. I have seen Edler be a spectator far too often around the crease. Watching instead of boxing out.

Probably the most obvious deficiency are his breakouts through the neutral zone. He has his pocket picked far too often, and when Tanev is guilty of a giveaway (which isn't often), Edler is usually caught out of position and does his obligatory scramble behind the opposing players, as they either score or getting hooked or tripped by him.

He has definite strengths. And he has definite weaknesses. All players do, but Edler hasn't seemed to have been able to get some of the more detrimental ones out of his game. He still makes the same mistakes he made 5 years ago. He hasn't grown as a player, and in fact, probably plateaued a long time ago.

He is an average defenseman with good size and decent skill, asked to be a dominant, number one defenseman. Trevor Linden's words, not mine. He's not, nor will he ever be a leader on the team.

This team needs a number one, and I believe Edler would be a key cog in a trade that could bring one back. He would have to agree to leaving though, to allow the place he takes on the team to be filled by the proper candidate.

[elvis15]

2 hours ago, Drewismyname said:

On the ice for 4/5 GA since 22/11/15

 

Just a coincidence of course lol. Miller's reaction was priceless. 

The most recent: (0:49)
...

I'll say it again, but being on the ice doesn't make him a liability, or even in any way responsible for the goal. Edler gets back across in front to try and block the shot from above the hashmarks on a penalty kill after both forwards and one D chased into the corner and left Vanek wide open. But, clearly:

It's pretty clear you're only seeing what you want to despite it doing very little for your point, so have at 'er.

[Drewismyname]

Just now, elvis15 said:

I'll say it again, but being on the ice doesn't make him a liability, or even in any way responsible for the goal. Edler gets back across in front to try and block the shot from above the hashmarks on a penalty kill after both forwards and one D chased into the corner and left Vanek wide open. But, clearly:

It's pretty clear you're only seeing what you want to despite it doing very little for your point, so have at 'er.

Oh, so you think Miller would have had less of a chance of saving if Edler didn't screen him? He made a bad situation worse. Giving miller the clear view to save the shot easily was the better choice than screening him. Typical Alex Edler dur moment 

[Canucklehead73]

Both Alex Edler and Chris Tanev are both  top ten in blocked shots... Sure once in a while one will deflect in but more do not.

[Drewismyname]

44 minutes ago, Canucklehead73 said:

Both Alex Edler and Chris Tanev are both  top ten in blocked shots... Sure once in a while one will deflect in but more do not.

On the ice for 5/6 since last week now. Sure sounds like more than "once in a while" lol Start paying attention to goals against and you'll notice more times than not there's a big 23 staring at you lol. 

[Canucklehead73]

Yeah I'm sure paying attention is helping you... He is on the ice for almost half the game, odds are you going to be on for goals against. Pinning all goals against on one player simply for being on the ice while ignoring the fact that there are five other players on the ice, never mind ignoring the skill and execution of your opponent, is simply taking things to a personal level with your hate on a player. Gotta be realistic bud, it's a team sport.

[Tech N9ne]

It just seems like Edler doesn't care anymore. edler+higgens for eberle

[Canada Hockey Place]

44 minutes ago, Canucklehead73 said:

Yeah I'm sure paying attention is helping you... He is on the ice for almost half the game, odds are you going to be on for goals against. Pinning all goals against on one player simply for being on the ice while ignoring the fact that there are five other players on the ice, never mind ignoring the skill and execution of your opponent, is simply taking things to a personal level with your hate on a player. Gotta be realistic bud, it's a team sport.

But your line of thinking requires knowledge of how hockey works.... haters ain't got no time for that.

It takes a lot of energy to hate on a player. You have to closely watch every game for mistakes from that one player, remember all the times that player made a mistake in the past, collect stats to prove to others how much that player sucks, come up with nicknames to reflect your hate, and much more.  

You can't do all the above AND watch everybody else, let alone the opponent. That would be way too much work. 

 

[Drewismyname]

He's a liability. You can dress up a turd any way you want but it's still a turd and next playoffs when we get ousted, wait and see who's number you inevitably read skating away from his own goal with his head down after waving his stick like a magic wand while screeening his goalie doesn't stop the opponent.

I don't have any hate. Hate eats at the hater more than it does the target, especially in this case as I doubt he watches this board. I've been a Canucks fan since 2008 and every year there is one name attached to all the pinnacle goals against at the worst times during the biggest games and you already know who that is. 

I just want the Vancouver Canucks to win a stanley cup and afaiac they've invested ice time in the wrong D man. Who was our best D during 2010/2011? Hamhuis. A shut down defenseman who knows what the primary job of a defense man is (hint, it isn't riding the Sedins coat tails to make up for a horrid +/- as we saw how bad he got without the preferential treatment in 2013/2014 -39). 

If your best defenseman is a sieve in his own end, the whole foundation of your team is a joke. It's like building a house on a swamp. Before Edler should even have a glimmer of hope of scoring a goal and or being placed on the powerplay he should be taught his primary job and then once that happens, rewarded with PP time. 

 

[hlinkas wrister]

1 hour ago, Drewismyname said:

He's a liability. You can dress up a turd any way you want but it's still a turd and next playoffs when we get ousted, wait and see who's number you inevitably read skating away from his own goal with his head down after waving his stick like a magic wand while screeening his goalie doesn't stop the opponent.

I don't have any hate. Hate eats at the hater more than it does the target, especially in this case as I doubt he watches this board. I've been a Canucks fan since 2008 and every year there is one name attached to all the pinnacle goals against at the worst times during the biggest games and you already know who that is. 

I just want the Vancouver Canucks to win a stanley cup and afaiac they've invested ice time in the wrong D man. Who was our best D during 2010/2011? Hamhuis. A shut down defenseman who knows what the primary job of a defense man is (hint, it isn't riding the Sedins coat tails to make up for a horrid +/- as we saw how bad he got without the preferential treatment in 2013/2014 -39). 

If your best defenseman is a sieve in his own end, the whole foundation of your team is a joke. It's like building a house on a swamp. Before Edler should even have a glimmer of hope of scoring a goal and or being placed on the powerplay he should be taught his primary job and then once that happens, rewarded with PP time. 

 

Drew, I'm not gonna tell you how to be a fan or anything- it takes all types of people to make this world the interesting place that it is. I will tell you this however- if it bothers you that much to watch Edler play D for the Canucks then maybe you should start listening to the games on the radio because he's locked up for three more seasons after this one and he isn't going anywhere before then. Really, he's not.

[Alflives]

1 hour ago, Drewismyname said:

He's a liability. You can dress up a turd any way you want but it's still a turd and next playoffs when we get ousted, wait and see who's number you inevitably read skating away from his own goal with his head down after waving his stick like a magic wand while screeening his goalie doesn't stop the opponent.

I don't have any hate. Hate eats at the hater more than it does the target, especially in this case as I doubt he watches this board. I've been a Canucks fan since 2008 and every year there is one name attached to all the pinnacle goals against at the worst times during the biggest games and you already know who that is. 

I just want the Vancouver Canucks to win a stanley cup and afaiac they've invested ice time in the wrong D man. Who was our best D during 2010/2011? Hamhuis. A shut down defenseman who knows what the primary job of a defense man is (hint, it isn't riding the Sedins coat tails to make up for a horrid +/- as we saw how bad he got without the preferential treatment in 2013/2014 -39). 

If your best defenseman is a sieve in his own end, the whole foundation of your team is a joke. It's like building a house on a swamp. Before Edler should even have a glimmer of hope of scoring a goal and or being placed on the powerplay he should be taught his primary job and then once that happens, rewarded with PP time. 

 

He does do some very important things better than any D we have, and better than most in the league.  He is great at taking hits to free up pucks, which is HUGE in our own end.  If we wanted to trade him there would be 29 teams calling, because of this skill, combined with his size and skating.  These D are coveted, especially now, when a heavy forecheck pounds D across the league.  We need him!  But I would trade him for Hamonic.

[hlinkas wrister]

10 minutes ago, Alflives said:

He does do some very important things better than any D we have, and better than most in the league.  He is great at taking hits to free up pucks, which is HUGE in our own end.  If we wanted to trade him there would be 29 teams calling, because of this skill, combined with his size and skating.  These D are coveted, especially now, when a heavy forecheck pounds D across the league.  We need him!  But I would trade him for Hamonic.

There are at least 3 other d-men we need to replace before even thinking about upgrading on Edler. It's his tenth year with the team and other than the Torts year where he obviously wasn't comfortable with JT and the team was like a collective minus 100 he's only had one other season as a minus (and that was a -5). His salary of 6 mil per puts him at a tie for 17-23 for league defenseman which is high but his cap hit puts him at around number 35 which is realistic because that's what he is, a good number 2 d-man. 

[VanGnome]

derp

[The Lock]

1 hour ago, hlinkas wrister said:

There are at least 3 other d-men we need to replace before even thinking about upgrading on Edler. It's his tenth year with the team and other than the Torts year where he obviously wasn't comfortable with JT and the team was like a collective minus 100 he's only had one other season as a minus (and that was a -5). His salary of 6 mil per puts him at a tie for 17-23 for league defenseman which is high but his cap hit puts him at around number 35 which is realistic because that's what he is, a good number 2 d-man. 

I agree. We have more important things to worry about than Edler. Edler's clearly not going anywhere (especially with his NTC and outright stating he wants to stay in Vancouver). Let's worry about other aspects of the team like upgrading our defense in general.

Crying wolf about Edler really gets us nowhere (unless if it's just to troll to get attention I guess).

[Positive Canuck]

Hutton-Buff

Edler-Tanev

Tryamkin-Sbisa

Pedan

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

On 2015-11-27, 11:15:44, Drewismyname said:

On the ice for 4/5 GA since 22/11/15

 

Just a coincidence of course lol. Miller's reaction was priceless. 

The most recent: (0:49)
 

 

 

LMAO if you are blaming Edler for that first goal you have no clue about hockey.  He was the deepest guy in the zone and did whatever he could to get out front since Prust was way out of position and lefty his man unattended. 

Look at Prust then look at Edler then look at the guy high in the slot. How the frak is Edler to blame ?

 

[DIBdaQUIB]

40 minutes ago, Mr.DirtyDangles said:

LMAO if you are blaming Edler for that first goal you have no clue about hockey.  He was the deepest guy in the zone and did whatever he could to get out front since Prust was way out of position and lefty his man unattended. 

Look at Prust then look at Edler then look at the guy high in the slot. How the frak is Edler to blame ?

 

IT deflects off his skate and up over MIller's arm.  Not really Edler's fault but the old "either block it or get the hell out of the way so I can stop it" look from Miller.