Vancouver Canucks and Alex Edler
Rick Dhaliwal: Mark Stowe, the agent for Vancouver Canucks pending UFA defenseman Alexander Edler on Sportsnet 650: “We have till July 1 to get a deal so we aren’t in a rush as of now. We continue to move forward and it’s our intent to have a deal done before July 1. Alex wants to stay and he has that right, that’s why he didn’t wave his NTC.”
Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province: A contract extension between the Vancouver Canucks and Alex Edler seems inevitable.
“I’ve talked to Eddy a lot,” said the Canucks’ bench boss. “I’m the coach, not the GM, and I understand the dynamics. Eddy knows what we think about him. It’s obvious in how much we play him and how we treat him as one of our main leaders. I like having him on our team. You hope it works out.”
Canucks GM Jim Benning said yesterday morning that he thinks it will get done.
Edler will turn 33-years old next month and has missed a bunch of games each year over the past five seasons.
More on the potential offer sheets this offseason
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: The Toronto Maple Leafs (Mitch Marner), Winnipeg Jets (Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine) and Tampa Bay Lightning (Brayden Point) have said since the start of the season that they are ready to match any offer sheet.
Gerry Johansson, Point’s agent said last month to that he didn’t think an offer sheet was for them.
Canadiens GM Marc Bergervin said that one reason we may have not seen them is the draft lottery may scare some bubble teams. Top teams usually don’t have the cap space for offer sheets.
The New York Islanders have the cap space for a potential offer sheet.
“It’s a tool, but the problem in many cases is that you have to overpay to overwhelm the team to get the player,” said Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher. “To the point where you end up creating cap issues for yourself. So it has to be … there are probably circumstances where you would consider it and probably circumstances where it just doesn’t make sense. It can be a pretty prohibitive price both in terms of money and assets to give up.’’
What about signing second tier players and not the top end guys? One ‘nameless’ GM brings up, can the Maple Leafs really match a $6 million offer sheet for Kasperi Kapanen?
LeBrun still isn’t convinced there will be offer sheets despite the recent talk.
The Arizona Coyotes, New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings and maybe a few others can afford to offer sheet someone, but there are not many others.