Alexander Edler

 ( 1986 Births ) 

Playing in his rookie season with the Canucks the following season, Edler was chosen to compete in the 2008 NHL YoungStars Game. Representing the Western Conference, his team was defeated 7–6 by the Eastern Conference. Playing amidst numerous injuries on the Canucks' blueline, Edler appeared in the most games among team defencemen with 75. With all the injuries to his teammates, he was given additional time on the power play and short handed. His eight goals ranked second among rookie defencemen in the NHL, while his 20 points was fifth overall.

On 9 October 2008, at the start of the 2008–09 season, Edler signed a new four-year, $13 million contract with Vancouver. The contract, a raise from his 2008–09 salary of $550,000, took effect for the 2009–10 season. The following month, he missed two games sidelined with the influenza. Later in the season, he recorded a personal best four-point game (one goal and three assists) in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on 7 February 2009. He finished with 37 points, including a career-high ten goals. In the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs, Edler led all Canucks defencemen with seven points in ten games as the Canucks were eliminated in the second round by Chicago. In his first few seasons in the NHL, Edler was often paired with veteran blueliner and countryman Mattias Öhlund, who he considered a mentor for him.

The following campaign, 2009–10, Edler improved to career-highs of 37 assists, first among team defencemen, and 42 points, second to Christian Ehrhoff. He missed six games near the midpoint of the campaign due to a left arm injury, sustained in December 2009. In the 2010 playoffs, he added six points in 12 games as the Canucks were eliminated in the second round, again by the Blackhawks. Edler was injured in the sixth and deciding game of the series after opposing forward Dustin Byfuglien stepped on his right ankle after hitting him along the boards. Requiring a walking cast for five weeks, he rehabilitated his ankle during the off-season.

Recovering in time for the 2010–11 season, Edler continued to improve and was on pace to record new career-highs in goals, assists and points until he suffered a back injury on 24 January 2011 in a 7–1 win against the Dallas Stars after an open-ice hit against Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn. Canucks general manager Mike Gillis told reporters that Edler had been experiencing tightness in his back at several times earlier in the season, but the hit from Benn was the breaking point. Edler underwent microdiscectomy surgery to relieve pressure on a herniated disk and was sidelined for months, returning for the second-last game of the regular season. Finishing the season with eight goals and 33 points over 51 games, he ranked second among team defencemen in scoring, behind Ehrhoff. His 24 minutes and 17 seconds of average ice time per game also led the Canucks. As the Canucks won the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in franchise history, the team entered the 2011 playoffs with the first seed in the West. Eliminating the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks, the Canucks advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 17 years. Facing the Boston Bruins, the team lost the series in seven games. Following their defeat, it was revealed that several Canucks players had been playing with injuries, including Edler, who played Game 7 with two broken fingers that was initially suffered in game six two days prior. In the playoffs, he ranked second among Canucks defencemen and third in the league overall with 11 points (two goals and nine assists) in all 25 games.

With the departure of Christian Ehrhoff, the Canucks' leading defensive scorer from the previous two seasons, to the Buffalo Sabres in the off-season, Edler assumed a larger role on the team's blueline in the 2011–12 season. By mid-January 2012, Edler was ranked fourth among NHL defenceman in scoring with 7 goals and 24 points. That month, he was selected to his first NHL All-Star Game. He was selected to the competition alongside Canucks teammates Daniel and Henrik Sedin, as well as Cody Hodgson, who was named to the rookie squad. Playing for Team Alfredsson, Edler logged 21 minutes of ice time in a 12–9 loss to Team Chara. Edler finished the campaign having played all 82 games for the first time in his career. He recorded personal bests and team-highs among defencemen in all major statistical categories with 11 goals, 38 assists and 49 points. League-wide, he ranked seventh among defencemen in point-scoring. Out of eight attempts, his four shootout goals was first among NHL defencemen. His efforts helped the Canucks to a second consecutive Presidents' Trophy. Individually, he earned four fifth-place votes for the James Norris Memorial Trophy to rank 15th overall. Defending their Clarence S. Campbell Bowl as Western Conference champions from the previous year, the Canucks lost in the first round of the 2012 playoffs to the eighth-seeded and eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. Edler recorded two goals in the five-game series.

On 18 January 2013, Edler signed a new six-year, $30 million contract to remain with the Canucks, which took effect for the 2013–14 season and concluding after the 2018–19 season. During the summer, Edler was the talk of trade rumours at the trade deadline. The Detroit Red Wings were the team most interested in Edler, and general manager Mike Gills tried to move Edler before the no-trade clause in his contract took effect on 1 July 2013. Ultimately, no deal was reached.

On 2 March 2018, Edler recorded two assists and surpassed Mattias Öhlund's franchise record of points by a Canucks defenceman.

On 22 December 2018, Edler overtook Ohlund's record for most games played by a Canucks defenceman. With the 2019 NHL trade deadline approaching, the Canucks entertained trading Edler, but ultimately didn't, as the defenceman refused to waive his no-trade clause. On 28 March, Edler scored his 94th career goal with the Canucks, surpassing Ohlund's record of most goals by a Canucks defenceman. Despite the injuries, which kept Edler to just 56 games, his 10 goals were his first double-digit total since 2011–12, and his 34 points in this abbreviated season represented his best per game pace since the same 2011–12 season.

On 20 June 2019, Edler signed a new two-year, $12 million contract with Vancouver for the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons worth $6 million annually. On 16 January 2020, Edler overtook the record for most assists by a Canucks defenceman, previously held by Dennis Kearns.

With fellow long-time Canuck Christopher Tanev's departure on 9 October 2020, Edler would become the last remaining player from the 2010–11 Vancouver Canucks that played in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Edler recorded his first point for Los Angeles on 23 October 2021, an assist in a 7–3 loss to the St. Louis Blues. On 2 December 2021, Edler scored his 100th career NHL goal in a 3–2 loss against the Calgary Flames. It was also his first goal as a member of the Kings. On 11 December 2021, Edler injured his leg and was placed on the injured reserve list. He missed 36 games as a result. He would be activated off the injured reserve list on 22 March 2022.

On 12 July 2022, Edler signed a one-year, $750k contract extension with the Kings. He played his 1,000th NHL game on 31 December 2022 in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Edler was responsible for a knee-on-knee hit to Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal in the quarterfinals of the 2013 IIHF World Championship, and was suspended for the final two games of the championship. Sweden went on to win the gold medal, and Edler was awarded a medal even though he did not play in the gold medal game. On 29 July 2013, the IIHF extended the suspension to cover Sweden's first two games of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Edler later joined team Sweden during the Olympics after his two-game suspension. He recorded a goal and two assists in the tournament, helping Sweden earn the silver medal.