Outsiders may have had a tough time figuring out why the Canucks were so eager to give 22-year-old Swedish defenseman Alexander Edler a four-year, $13 million contract extension on Friday, just one game into his second full season.

If they watched Vancouver's second game, they'd understand better.

After the Canucks lost top-four defenseman Kevin Bieksa to an apparent knee injury early in the first period of Saturday's 5-4 overtime win in Calgary, Edler led the team in ice time. In addition to picking up an assist in his 28-plus minutes—and finishing plus-2 a second-straight game—Edler was sent out by coach Alain Vigneault to replace veteran Mattias Ohlund after a timeout before a late third-period power play.

Not bad for a kid that just four seasons ...More