Like him or not, losing Alex Edler is a major blow for Vancouver Canucks. Logging over 18 minutes a night on special teams, and matching up against NHL team’s top lines, Edler is a critical piece of the defense core.
Therefore, it begs the questions: who of the Vancouver Canucks’ depth players can take on his role?
So far, Michael Del Zotto is the man – averaging over 23 minutes -; but Del Zotto is generally not a high-minute player, nor a penalty killer. So who else can help fill the void five-on-five, and on special teams?