VanGnome Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 My problem with Edler has always been this: Intensity. Edler plays the game as if it's just a job, he seemingly puts in just enough effort to get the job done, but doesn't go the extra mile to elevate his game or intensity. It results in ridiculous gaffs which often lead to goals against that would have been otherwise preventable. He just doesn't seem to give a $&!# out there. IMO I want players who play with excitement, energy and are capable of making critical decisions in split seconds not resulting in goals against. Now obviously that's not achievable 100% of the time, but neither is that my expectation. However, certainly I would think that Edler is one of the highest offenders when it comes to mental lapses given the role he plays. How many other top pairing defencemen make the same kind of mental lapses over, and over again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 3 minutes ago, fwybwed said: Are seriously puttin an aging Edler on with any #1 one D's lol Now you are just reaching Because we all know that any #1 D will improve the stats of any other Dmen. EVEN if they didn't touch the puck the whole time. Please be real. And my top 50 comment above???? Show me or no? -6 up to the positive may help lol BUT I doubt it. You're first paragraph is a complete cop out. As for the top 50, first of all I said 'probably one of the ~top 50 D in the league.' Pardon my guestimating but looks like I was pretty right at #59: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=779053 Quote 59 Alexander Edler, VAN Or here: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=777967 Where they have him at 40 and 47 (44 aggregate) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 7 minutes ago, xereau said: It is not ridiculous. He is not a first pairing big minutes type of player. He makes too many mistakes. How exactly does Edler's play style compliment the offense first, jump into the play, deep pinching, puck hogging real #1's you laid out, when he has tried (and failed) to be this kind of player himself? Does he suddenly become a Chris Tanev, the reliable stay-back-bail-out-buddy to his offense first partner? He has never shown this play style. Why would he be fantastic at this role, all of a sudden, now? My point is that he would flourish as the offense first type guy, aka, the #3 on the 2nd pairing. He is a pinching, offense first kind of guy. If he was played against the opposing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th lines more often, instead of always being matched up against the best in the league, he would be a force to be reckoned with. Haha! He played pretty much exactly that role with Ehrhoff. Stayed back and played a safe, physical, defensively sound game occasionally stepping in to soft spots to rifle off his wicked slapper usually with space created by Ehrhoff pressuring. He's not an OFD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 On 12/11/2015 at 11:23 AM, J.R. said: There's no one silver bullet answer IMO. -If he was more consistently 'good' Alex, he be a lot closer to a #1D than the #2 he is (and paid accordingly). -If he had a more complimentary partner, he'd be able to play his game to higher potential. -Related to that^, if we had a true #1, he'd have far less pressure and expectations and force him to 'play above his pay grade' and likely be more consistent (or at least less noticeable when he isn't). -If our D core had anything resembling real top 4 depth/quality (it doesn't), he'd feel less pressure to play beyond his natural strength and over extend himself. He'd also likely play less minutes which would lead to less fatigue and mental errors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviewonder20 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 27 minutes ago, J.R. said: You're first paragraph is a complete cop out. As for the top 50, first of all I said 'probably one of the ~top 50 D in the league.' Pardon my guestimating but looks like I was pretty right at #59: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=779053 Or here: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=777967 Where they have him at 40 and 47 (44 aggregate) At #59, that makes him the worst top 2 pairing in the league. He needs fewer minutes, better D below him, and more intensity. He may also be smarting from previous suspensions (afraid to hit) and a vulnerable back. Dumping him would not be as effective as dumping much of the rest of our D. As bad as he is (sometimes), he's better than the rest, aside from Tanev. Also, WTF is our defensive coaching staff doing this year? A lack of structure and missed coverage is only OK when you can out score your opponents but never acceptable if you are a contender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 3 minutes ago, steviewonder20 said: At #59, that makes him the worst top 2 pairing in the league. He needs fewer minutes, better D below him, and more intensity. He may also be smarting from previous suspensions (afraid to hit) and a vulnerable back. Dumping him would not be as effective as dumping much of the rest of our D. As bad as he is (sometimes), he's better than the rest, aside from Tanev. Also, WTF is our defensive coaching staff doing this year? A lack of structure and missed coverage is only OK when you can out score your opponents but never acceptable if you are a contender. The second link has him mid 40's And no, that doesn't make him the worst top pair. Many teams are blessed with more than one of those guys in the top 60 (Montreal, Calgary, NYR, Nashville, L.A. etc, etc...). The wealth is definitely not evenly spread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Money Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Has anyone noticed that Edler's drop in offensive production came exactly when his new long-term contract kicked in? Perhaps a little less motivation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIBdaQUIB Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 2 hours ago, J.R. said: No, he's a #2 D playing with a #3 as our outmatched first pair and largely a bunch of #5-8 or AHL'ers filling out the balance of our D. No disagreement that the defense needs a MAJOR reno before we're remotely competitive but Edler is far, FAR from being the problem with it. That said, moving him could be part of the solution to fixing it and that's only because he's a quality D who could return usable pieces. I'm not sure he's a number 2. Only way to know would be to put him with Doughty and see but to me, he is too slow to the puck, too uncertain/slow to move it when he gets there and and lacks foot speed to skate it out of trouble. All skills that a top 2 would need IMHO. He lacks creativity (is very predictable) and seldom uses his side to physically punish or dominate. IF there is a scuffle, he is passive. I just don't see any attributes that would make him a # 2. More like a decent #3 or #4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YummyCakeFace Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Was the same way in Kelowna. Inconsistent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaudette Celly Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 I suspect Edler might look fairly decent next to Shea Weber... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 1 hour ago, DIBdaQUIB said: I'm not sure he's a number 2. Only way to know would be to put him with Doughty and see but to me, he is too slow to the puck, too uncertain/slow to move it when he gets there and and lacks foot speed to skate it out of trouble. All skills that a top 2 would need IMHO. He lacks creativity (is very predictable) and seldom uses his side to physically punish or dominate. IF there is a scuffle, he is passive. I just don't see any attributes that would make him a # 2. More like a decent #3 or #4. What you're describing sounds a lot more like a #1. Which he isn't. Guy's ranked somewhere in the 40-60 range of the best D men in the world, are not #3 or #4 D's. Sorry, that's just silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIBdaQUIB Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 3 hours ago, J.R. said: 17 minutes ago, J.R. said: What you're describing sounds a lot more like a #1. Which he isn't. Guy's ranked somewhere in the 40-60 range of the best D men in the world, are not #3 or #4 D's. Sorry, that's just silly. Based on this year's performance and the year under Torts, I can't see Edler possibly ranked top 40-60 in the NHL let alone the world. Last year is looking like an anomaly. Even a #2 has to have some of the attributes I described earlier. Edler doesn't. Maybe he's a strong #3. That's okay but it illustrates how thin we are on D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 1 minute ago, DIBdaQUIB said: Based on this year's performance and the year under Torts, I can't see Edler possibly ranked top 40-60 in the NHL let alone the world. Last year is looking like an anomaly. Even a #2 has to have some of the attributes I described earlier. Edler doesn't. Maybe he's a strong #3. That's okay but it illustrates how thin we are on D. He's having a fine year considering the circumstances/context. I'm not sure what some of you people are expecting with an AHL defense around him and a ton of rookie forwards. NEWSFLASH: The Canucks are not a good team this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIBdaQUIB Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Just now, J.R. said: He's having a fine year considering the circumstances/context. I'm not sure what some of you people are expecting with an AHL defense around him and a ton of rookie forwards. NEWSFLASH: The Canucks are not a good team this year. I would expect a #1/#2 to show leadership and elevate his game. HIs bobbles, lack of physicality, inability to get shots past defenders have nothing to do with his teammates. We are likely not far apart in our assessment. You think he's a #2, I think he's a #3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 8 minutes ago, DIBdaQUIB said: I would expect a #1/#2 to show leadership and elevate his game. HIs bobbles, lack of physicality, inability to get shots past defenders have nothing to do with his teammates. We are likely not far apart in our assessment. You think he's a #2, I think he's a #3. I and the vast majority of the NHL, NHL writers etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIBdaQUIB Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 32 minutes ago, J.R. said: I and the vast majority of the NHL, NHL writers etc... A majority view doesn't impress me. Seen too many examples of draft picks, prospects etc. picked by the majority that flop. As long as it brings you comfort, great. I don' t see (with my eyes) a #2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 1 minute ago, DIBdaQUIB said: A majority view doesn't impress me. Seen too many examples of draft picks, prospects etc. picked by the majority that flop. As long as it brings you comfort, great. I don' t see (with my eyes) a #2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alflives Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 1 minute ago, DIBdaQUIB said: A majority view doesn't impress me. Seen too many examples of draft picks, prospects etc. picked by the majority that flop. As long as it brings you comfort, great. I don' t see (with my eyes) a #2. I love this game! I spy with my little eye someone that is dumb like post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanucksSayEh Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Putting Edler next to Bobby Orr isn't gonna suddenly boost his hockey IQ and level of give a ****. Still gonna be a barrage of brain farts. The guy next to him seems to do just fine playing with plugs every year. Thats a true #2 who deserves to be on a pairing with one of the elite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alflives Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 1 minute ago, CanucksSayEh said: Putting Edler next to Bobby Orr isn't gonna suddenly boost his hockey IQ and level of give a ****. Still gonna be a barrage of brain farts. The guy next to him seems to do just fine playing with plugs every year. Thats a true #2 who deserves to be on a pairing with one of the elite. We really should spread the wealth. He should go to another team, so their fan base can have the pleasure of bashing him too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.