The Canucks Defense: Where Eight Is Enough

With the oft injured Sami Salo expected to return to the lineup tonight, that now leaves a log jam at the defense position or in other words “Eight is enough”.

This year it looks like a dozen will not be enough, what with all the injuries, but there is only room for six to play. So what do you do with the other two, and who might they be?

Aaron Rome would be one of the logical choices but the other player is not so clear. Alex Edler, to put it politely, has been struggling, and leads the team in the +/- department, at minus eight. Not exactly a stat you want to be leading in, no matter what position you play.

Edler is not a rookie either, as this is his third season, but do you risk crashing his confidence by sitting him out for a few games or worse yet, rotating him in and out of the lineup?

Although Mathieu Schneider has just returned from his injury and played just his second game, he looks like he will help this already effective power play. Doesn’t hurt either that his first goal on Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings, was on a power play opportunity.

So, does Schneider become a platoon power play quarterback?

Will the cap space dictate who plays?

My latest search at nhlnumbers.com shows the Canucks with $4.3M of LTIR (Long Term Injury Reserve) Replacement. So as long as Pavol Demitra and others occupy those figures, the cap space should be OK and not affect the defensive group.

Problem will be, if and when Demitra returns.

When Salo returns he knocks a lot of players down the ranking ladder, as in who will be in the number five through eight positions.

In no particular order, if Christian Ehrhoff, Willie Mitchell and Sami Salo are to be the Nucks top three defensemen, who is four through six? Is it Alex Edler, Kevin Bieksa and Shane O’Brien?

In my humble opinion, I don’t think Edler deserves a four through six spot and if the Canucks management stays true to their word of icing the “best” team possible, then O’Brien, Bieksa and Schneider should represent those positions.

Yes Shane O’Brien. He has quietly gone about playing a steady, stay at home, physical, defensive game, with plus-three rating. Not bad for one that does not see power play time.

Kevin Bieksa, what an animal the Nucks would have, if you could take his passion and mentality and place it in Edler’s body. We would not be talking about Edler’s problem, instead we would be comparing him to a Chris Pronger type player.

So, however this plays out, what a great dilemma to be in. I bet a great number of other NHL teams would trade places in a New York minute.

Then again there’s always a possibility of a trade!