Mailbag continued…
Do you think this is the year that Edler would waive him NMC if other teams show interest?
— Zaahid Lalani (@zaahidlalani) April 2, 2021
Not a chance.
Alex Edler has been very vocal about his desire to remain in Vancouver. He loves the city, his family has deep roots in BC, and he wants to finish his career with the same team that drafted him.
The 34-year-old Swede has long been the face of Vancouver’s blue line, and although Hughes has surpassed him on the depth chart, he still holds a ton of value within their defence corps.
He’s starting to slow down offensively, but he can still be a solid contributor as Vancouver tries to replace him in the top-four. Olli Juolevi is a player of a similar mould to Edler, and the veteran could be a very useful mentor in his transition to becoming a full-time NHL defenceman.
My guess: Edler re-signs with the Canucks on a one-year contract. Nothing more than $3 million.
Do you think the Canucks are-sign Hamonic?
— PP1 PODCAST (@ThePP1Podcast) April 2, 2021
Travis Hamonic has made it public knowledge that he heavily desires to play hockey out west. That probably played a big role in his deal with the Canucks this season, and although I don’t see him signing a new contract for that cheap again, I do believe this gives Vancouver an advantage in contract talks.
Vancouver will likely need to outbid teams like the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames (if they show any interest in Hamonic’s services), but Benning definitely needs to do what he can to keep Hamonic interested in an extension.
Not only can Benning work out a discounted deal because of Hamonic’s limited list of teams he’s willing to play for, but Vancouver also needs to lock up their right side on defence, and Hamonic happens to be right-handed. There are a lot of parts to this situation that can help the Canucks, and Benning needs to capitalize on that.
Final thoughts…
That’s it for this week’s edition of The Canuck Way mailbag! Keep your eyes open for the weekly tweet. We put it out on Fridays! Get your questions in and give yourself a chance to read about it every Sunday!
Stay safe out there, Canucks fans!