Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler will return after missing 13 games with a broken finger. Vancouver was 5-7-1 during Edler's absence and has two wins in its past eight games. "Everything I've done feels really good, so I am ready for a game now," said Edler, who was averaging 23:41 of ice time and had one goal and two assists in 21 games before he was injured when hit by a shot during a Nov. 26 game. "He's our best D-man, I think," forward Alexandre Burrows said. "He's so reliable off breakouts, he reads the play well, he defends well. He's good offensively, so he's a big part of our defense for sure." Forward Jayson Megna, who was a healthy scratch for a 4-1 road loss at the Calgary Flames on Dec. 23, when the Canucks had 14 shots, will start on the top line with Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. Megna, who has three goals in 18 games, scored two of them on rare shifts with the Sedins during a 5-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 8. Megna replaces Jannik Hansen, who will miss 4-6 weeks with a knee injury sustained Dec. 22. "It's an excellent opportunity," Megna said. "It's big for me and a chance to show I can help the team win and contribute."
