Vancouver Canucks

[Report] Alex Edler’s Status Unknown for Game 6 After Being Cut by Skate

Alex Edler was cut by an opponents skate behind the ear during the second period of Game 5. Will he be back for Game 6? We don’t know.

by
Old Prof
August 20, 2020

The Vancouver Canucks’ Alex Edler suffered a nasty cut to the back and side of his head in the second period of last night’s Game 5 against the St. Louis Blues when Blues forward Jordan Kyrou’s skate flew up and clipped Edler near his right ear late in the second period.

The veteran hurried off the ice under his own power, but it was obvious that he was bleeding quite a bit. He didn’t return for the third period.

Key Questions for the Canucks

The first important question is about Edler’s health. Is he badly hurt? And, the answer seems to be that he’ll be ok.

The second question is about his ability to play in Friday night’s Game 6. Surely, the Canucks can find another skater to replace him, and in fact last night they won the game without him. However, Edler is a quiet and competent key to the team’s defense and not only logs lots of TOI, but he does it without making a lot of mistakes that turn into opponents’ scores.

The Canucks have a 3-2 lead in this series. Game 6 will be played on Friday night. Will he be ready in time?

What Do Reports Say about Edler’s Status?

Earlier today, the report was that – although Edler’s status would be updated later today – it sounded as if he would be available to play in Game 6 on Friday.

Hearing early word on Edler is he should be fine but the Canucks will know more on him later on today.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) August 20, 2020

Rick Dhaliwal’s mid-morning tweet noted that “the word” early today was that Edler should be fine. And, really that’s good news that the laceration isn’t that serious because it could have been and, at first, it certainly looked serious. Certainly, NHL skates are sharp like knives.

Even given Dhaliwal’s tweet, there’s nothing official – and why should there be? It’s pretty early and the game isn’t until tomorrow. Fans might not know anything official about Edler’s availability until the drop of the puck.

When asked later today, Coach Travis Green wouldn’t say if Alexander Edler would be in or out for Game 6. However, Green personally noted that he hoped Edler would be available. And, as I have noted here, early reports have been optimistic.