The Vancouver Canucks have announced that defenceman Alexander Edler is sidelined for three to six weeks with a knee injury. He was diagnosed with a strained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
Alexander Edler: His MCL sprain will keep him out of the lineup for 3-6 weeks. https://t.co/SjKH4k4pmV #nhl #Canucks
— Left Wing Lock (@Left_Wing_Lock) October 28, 2018
Alexander Edler Injured
Edler left midway through the first period of the Canucks Oct. 24 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He missed 12 games last season with a knee injury and the last two as well.
The 32-year-old has five assists in 10 games this season. He also added 14 penalty minutes. His possession numbers are 34.0 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of -11.7.
The Osterlund, Sweden native has only played for the Canucks in his 13-year NHL career. He has put up 84 goals and 255 assists for 339 career points in 768 career games. Vancouver originally drafted him in the third round, 91st overall in the 2004 NHL draft.
The Canucks also placed goalie Anders Nilsson was placed on injured reserve with a broken finger. Veteran goalie Richard Bachman was called up from the AHL Utica Comets to fill the roster spot.
Chris Tanev is day-to-day with an undisclosed inury. Tanev left in the third period of the Oct. 24 game versus Vegas with an undisclosed injury.
What This Means for the Future
Losing both Edler and Tanev showed in the team’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. The defence looked overwhelmed trying to handle the high-octane Penguins’ offence. Vancouver struggled in the second half of the game when Pittsburgh pulled away.
Edler is a steadying force on defence and has been key to Vancouver’s surprising start. Head coach Travis Green hopes that his team can stay near the top of the division until the Swedish defender returns.
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 07: Alexander Edler #23 of the Vancouver Canucks skates against the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center on November 7, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Islanders defeated the Canucks 4-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
