Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler is having back surgery and will be out indefinitely.
Edler, who leads the Canucks with 24 minutes of ice time a game and tops the team's defense with 32 points, missed Wednesday's game against Nashville. The team announced Thursday that he would have microdiscectomy surgery, which relieves pressure on a herniated disc.
There is no timeline for his return.
Edler, who plays on the top power-play unit and kills penalties, was injured during Monday's win over Dallas. The 24-year-old finished the game.
The Canucks are already without defensemen Andrew Alberts (shoulder) and Aaron Rome (knee), and have been missing veteran Sami Salo all season because of a torn Achilles' tendon. Salo has resumed skating with the team but there is no timeline for his return.
