The continued struggles of Edler and Schmidt
Alex Edler had a great start to the season and Nate Schmidt has arguably been the most consistent Canucks defenceman this year, but they’ve struggled mightily of late.
Edler, in particular, has lost multiple steps and seems to be skating in quicksand at times. The veteran will turn 35 in less than a month, and it seems like his days of being a legitimate top-four defenceman have quickly come to an end. This was particularly evident on Blake Wheeler’s opening goal last night:
Edler’s too slow to make a successful pinch in the offensive zone, and by the time Wheeler stole the puck, it was all over. In fact, Edler doesn’t even appear within the frame until the goal has already been scored. That’s how flat-footed he now is.
The question now is, will Edler be willing to waive his no-move clause ahead of the trade deadline? This has been brought up seemingly every year for half a decade now, and his answer has always been no. I can’t see him changing his mind this year, especially with COVID complicating everything in the world.
There’s no doubt that Edler is one of the greatest Canucks of all-time, but the team should only prioritize re-signing him in the offseason if he’s willing to sign a cheap, short-term deal.
Schmidt, on the other hand, is still a very effective top-four defenceman but has made blunders recently too. I think it’s worth asking whether his mistakes are a product of his own play or caused by Edler’s struggles. Personally, I think it’s probably a mix of both, and the team should really consider breaking up their pairing.
Would it make sense to experiment having Schmidt alongside Jordie Benn and Edler with Tyler Myers for a game? It certainly wouldn’t hurt, as both pairings have been struggling recently.