Before the arrival of the Vancouver Canucks’ rookie phenom Quinn Hughes, the majority of defensive responsibility and point production from the backend heavily relied on Alex Edler. For the Canucks and their 50-year history, Edler served as the good option, and in his 13 seasons prior to this one, he became the franchise leader in points by a Canucks defenceman. That’s his record alone, and he’s making an excellent effort at widening the gap.
For several years, Edler has been the team workhorse on defence. He’s an absolute minute-muncher for Vancouver, a go-to-guy playing a ton on the penalty kill, and being the first d-man out for any power play opportunity.