Alexander Edler

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size = 200px
team= Vancouver Canucks
league= NHL
position = Defence
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 4
weight_lb = 220
nickname =
nationality = SWE
birth_date = birth date and age|1986|4|21
birth_place = Östersund, SWE
draft = 91st overall
draft_year = 2004
draft_team = Vancouver Canucks
career_start = 2006

Alexander Edler (born April 21, 1986 in Östersund, Jämtland, Sweden) is a Swedish defenceman for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League.

Playing career

wedish League

Alexander Edler was a virtual unknown during his draft year - unranked by the Central Scouting Bureau the entire year, as very few scouts had made the trip to see him play. However, he was brought to the attention of the Vancouver Canucks due to a tip made to the Canucks' head scout in Sweden, Thomas Gradin, who journeyed to Östersund (located in the middle of Sweden) to see him play. Edler at the time was playing in the Swedish Third Division, which is three tiers down from the renowned Elite League on the now defunct team of Jamtland, which according to Thomas Gradin, was considered little more than a beer league hockey team.

Gradin then convinced the Canucks' management to draft him in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, 91st overall, [Forecaster.ca, [http://www.forecaster.ca/cbc/hockey/player.cgi?3243 Bio] ] right out from under the noses of the Detroit Red Wings, as the Canucks had traded up to acquire a third round draft pick from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a third round draft pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.cite news | first=Iain | last=MacIntyre | coauthors= | title=The legend of Edler | date=2008–01–25 | publisher=Canwest News Service | url =http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=264254 | work =The National Post | pages = | accessdate = 2008–03–19 | language = ] The reason for this deal was Detroit's high level of interest in Edler as well, as they had planned to draft him using their third round pick that draft year.

After Edler's draft year, Thomas Gradin then brokered a move for Edler to move onto the MODO Hockey elite junior team in Örnsköldsvik in 2004, which is famous for producing many talented NHL players, such as Peter Forsberg and Niklas Sundström, as well as current Canucks players Henrik and Daniel Sedin. There, Edler made a seamless transition to a more elite level of hockey.

North America

The following year, the Canucks then brought Edler to the North America. There, he was placed with the Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets, where he demonstrated his skill and poise, becoming best player on the team by Christmas of 2005. The following season, the Canucks were unsure whenever or not to keep Edler in the WHL or move him up to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. Following the 2006 Canucks training camp, it was decided that Edler would be placed with the Manitoba Moose for the 2006–07 AHL season. There, he played a total of 49 games with the Manitoba Moose, scoring five goals and 21 assists for 26 points before being named Manitoba’s Rookie of the Year.cite news | first=Jory | last=Derk | coauthors= | title=Alex Edler the Great | date=2008–01–15 | publisher=Vancouver Canucks | url =http://canucks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=349932 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008–03–19 | language = ]

He was called up on November 3, 2006 after veteran defenceman Sami Salo suffered a first-degree sprain in the game against the Minnesota Wild on November 2, 2006. [Canucks.com, [http://canucks.com/theinsider/default.asp?sectionID=5&id=1715 Salo suffers a knee injury] ] He made his NHL debut November 4, 2006 versus the Colorado Avalanche, logging just over thirteen minutes of game-time and was on the ice during the late stages of the third period, all while receiving numerous compliments from the CBC broadcast crew covering the game. This was the first of six call ups totalling 22 games by the Canucks that season to plug gaps in the Canuck's blue line that opened as a result of injury. In addition, Edler made appearances during the Canuck's 2007 playoff season.

Alexander Edler is considered by many analysts to be an offensively gifted defenceman. He is often described by many scouts to be like a young Nicklas Lidström due to his skill, composure and an excellent ability to read the ice; this translates into his game as he plays smart, defensively sound hockey. Adding to this are his strong passing skills, a powerful point shot, plus good skating skills for his size (6'4", 220lbs).

Additionally, Edler is known for his composure, confidence, calmness, and maturity on the ice, the point where Canucks assistant coach Rick Bowness stated:

In the Canucks 2008 superskills event Edler showed off his great shot by beating incumbent hardest shooter Sami Salo with a speed of 99.3 miles per hour. Stan Smyl, the Canucks' director of player development, has said that Edler easily possesses Mattias Öhlund potential, and is considered an eventual top paring defenceman.

On October 10, 2008, Edler signed a four-year contract extension with the Canucks. [cite news|title=Canucks sign D Edler to 4-year contract|url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=252191&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_nhl|publisher=TSN|date=2008-10-10|accessdate=2008-10-10]

Career statistics

Career highlights

* Manitoba Moose Rookie of the Year - 2007
* Named to NHL YoungStars Game - 2008.
* Won the Canucks Superskills Hardest Shot Competition - 2008

External links

*hockeydb|78705
*legendsofhockey|21349

References