The Los Angeles Kings are bringing back a valuable veteran defenseman. Alexander Edler has signed a one-year, league-minimum $750,000 extension to stay in Southern California, per the team. The 35+ contract also has the potential to earn Edler an additional $750,000 in games played bonuses. Per PuckPedia, the contract also includes a no-movement clause.
Edler, 36, spent his first NHL season outside of the Vancouver Canucks organization in 2021-22. His first season went well with the Kings in a reduced role, helping guide a youthful defense to strong play en route to the team’s first playoff appearance since 2018. He finished the season with three goals, 16 assists, 19 points, and a +18 rating in just 41 games due to injury. He did average just 18:28 per game, his first time averaging under 20 minutes per game as a full-time NHL player.
Another season for Edler puts him within striking distance of the 1,000 games played mark. Currently sitting at 966, the Swedish defenseman will need to suit up at least 34 times for the Kings in the regular season to hit the milestone. It’s a signifier of how impressive Edler’s career has been, and while it may be nearing its end, he’s a stellar model of leadership and consistency for the younger Kings to emulate.
With that quickly-improving young defense, though, the news likely means the Kings won’t be active on the free-agent defense market. With Michael Anderson, Sean Durzi, and Tobias Bjornfot earning NHL spots moving forward (just to name a few), and Sean Walker returning from a season-long injury absence, there aren’t any more spots available barring a trade.
The surging Kings are also beginning to push against the salary cap. With just over $3.5MM in projected space left according to CapFriendly, and Anderson and Durzi needing new contracts, don’t expect the team to make many more waves after Edler’s extension.
Edler Is a warrior I have always liked his heavy game but at age 36 and the fact that last season he missed over have of the Kings games It’s quite a stretch to call him valuable these days, In fact the Kings made the playoffs without his services.
He is still solid at the blue line and for the price this was a terrific signing for the team. Plus, he will be a great mentor to the young defensemen.
The 41 games he played in showed that they made the playoffs thanks in part to his services.
Fantastic deal!
That is a steal!
They can have Marc Staal too!
Yeah, finally a FA deal that’s a clear steal.
It’s not a steal at all If he Isn’t healthy.
Jordan Spence should get a long look in training camp should stick…
I don’t love it(the signing) given we have plenty of young D I’d rather see get the ice time… but, he’s getting bargain bin salary so I won’t gripe.. #GoKings
Goes to show 2 things.
One – it doesn’t always pay to “test the free agent” market. Edler made a lot more money in Vancouver and even if they didn’t offer him $6mil a season (more about sentimentality than ability) he would have still made more than he has/will with LA.
Two – Edler was never as good as some people thought. Vancouver had a lame defense for decades even when Edler was in his “prime”. He was the top “d-man” in Vancouver but on almost any other team in the league he would have been a third pairing at best.
The real reason he lasted so long in Vancouver was because he’s a Swede and Vancouver wanted to placate the Sedins. (Which is probably also why they signed Louie Eriksson to that ridiculous contract.)
Without the Sedins, Edler would have probably been gone years earlier.
I was happy to see him go. He was the last of the “just here for the paycheque” defense that Vancouver held onto since their last Cup run in 2011.
It seemed, after that loss, that a lot of players on the team gave up on the idea of ever making another run at the Cup and played to miss the playoffs instead of trying to make them.
But once they were officially eliminated, then they’d turn it up a notch to boost their personal stats and hope to land a job for next season.
Edler’s departure meant the entire defensive corp the team had at the start of the 2019/2020 season has now been replaced (except for Hughes, who only played 10 games at the end of that season). (Schenn left and then came back a couple years later.)
Now the team has hope.
Now the team has a core of players that want to win instead of just showing up to get paid.
Lets hope, with the new coach and new management, they make a go of it this season.