Alexander Edler = Mr. Pittsburgh

Alexander Edler has had a lengthy career, which started when he was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the EHE Inaugural Draft. He's played for the Ducks, Blues, Stars, Lightning, and of course the Penguins. He's made millions of dollars and won the Stanley Cup with Dallas in 2016.

After his Stanley Cup victory, he signed with Pittsburgh and made an instant impact, both on the ice with his points and defensive prowess, in the community with his charitable work. The connection he’s made with Pittsburgh has led him to constantly come back, even if others feel it’s not best for him as a player.

An unrestricted free agent during the 2019 offseason, and coming off two straight first round exits, Edler chose to re-sign for two more years in Pittsburgh while leaving money on the table elsewhere. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the team, who had lost Mattias Ekholm to Philadelphia and began searching for younger talent, Edler said at the time that “There’s nowhere else I want to be. This is my home. I’ve won a championship, I’ve made money. I just want to be happy.”

The Penguins would miss the playoffs in 2019-20, struggling to find success in the tough Metropolitan Division. That summer, veteran players were sold off in a continued attempt to get younger. Paul Stastny, Jason Zucker, and Ryan Suter all found homes in new cities, but Edler still didn’t want to leave.

“I signed the contract for two years, we’re only one year in. I’m committed to seeing things through.” he said in July 2020.

2020-21 would be no different for the Penguins, who again missed the playoffs and fared worse than the year before. The 2021 Trade Deadline proved to be a pivotal moment in Edler’s career, as he was shipped off to the Tampa Bay Lightning in return for draft picks.

“Ian asked me if I would be willing to waive, and honestly I wanted to say no. But it was clear to me they wanted to get younger and try to turn the ship around, so I wanted to do right by the people that have given me so much. I like what Tampa has to offer for a playoff run. Bringing in Krejci, Silfverberg, and everyone has this team poised for a run, and I’m excited to see what we can do.”

Tampa Bay would lose in the first round to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Flyers, and Edler was left at a crossroads. At 34 years old, he felt as though he could still play, but wasn’t sure if there would be any offers made.

“When free agency opened, the first offer my agent got was from Pittsburgh. I told him to sign it right away. It was nice to have the chance to go back to my second home, and they wanted me back as a mentor for their young players. Ian brought in guys like Zub, Norris, Kempe, Suter, and felt like they could take a serious shot at getting back to the playoffs.”

The Penguins would make the playoffs in 2021-22, but lose in the first round to the Flyers. Edler would tie a career high in goals, but saw his ice time dwindle as he took significantly more penalties than years before and struggled to adjust to the Penguins new players and systems. It seemed like the Penguins were ready to move on from Edler, with GM Ian reportedly telling teams he was looking to reconfigure his blue line and also telling Edler he wouldn’t be re-signed.

But on the first day of free agency 2022, when it was announced that Edler had once again re-signed in Pittsburgh, there was some shock among fans and media.

“If this is my last chance, I want it to be where I think I have the best shot and where I’m happiest. Pittsburgh satisfies both requirements.”

Edler has seen a major resurgence from last year. While not stacking points, he has been defensively sound on the top pair with Cam Fowler and is a contributing factor to the Penguins being second in the Metro with a 21-8-3 record.

Time will tell, but so far it seems like the Penguins are moving in the right direction towards another playoff appearance.