The Vancouver Canucks will be without Alexander Edler for the rest of the season after the defenseman suffered a broken leg in February. The team is also dealing with an injury to Henrik Sedin, and he will be out for Wednesday's game against the Arizona Coyotes.
Edler has been out since February with a fibula fracture, but the team was expecting him back within a month. The Canucks placed Edler on long-term injured reserve on Sunday and confirmed on Wednesday that he would not be returning this season. Edler put up solid numbers this season, recording 20 points in 52 games, including six goals and 14 assists.
The 29-year-old has played his entire career for the Canucks, and he now will be out for the remainder of the regular season. Edler was originally given a two-to-three week recovery time for the injury, but he did not progress as the team expected. The defenseman has dealt with injuries in each of the past three seasons for the Canucks, missing nearly 60 games in that span.
Edler was the leader on the team in goals among defenseman, and he provided strong depth at the position. Edler has not played a full-season schedule since the 2012 season. The Canucks also have Henrik Sedin dealing with an injury, and he will miss his second straight game on Wednesday. Sedin was ruled out on Monday against the Kings, but there is a chance he could return to play against the Nashville Predators this weekend.
Sedin is dealing with an upper-body injury that he suffered on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks. Sedin was injured in the first period after taking a hit from Brent Burns. Sedin has been one of the most durable players for the Canucks over the course of his career, as he has missed just 12 games over the past 10 seasons. Sedin has 48 points in 58 games, including 10 goals and 38 assists.
The Canucks are currently out of the playoff race and would need some major help to get in. The team is 25-28-12 this season with 62 points, 10 points behind the Minnesota Wild in the wild card standings for the Western Conference.
