This piece will be another in my series of player profiles, where I’ll give some thoughts on the performance of a member of the Carolina Hurricanes this season. This article will focus on Joel Edmundson.
Edmundson was acquired in the trade that sent Justin Faulk to St. Louis and was a secondary piece in the return. However, between injuries and Jake Gardiner’s underwhelming performance, Edmundson was forced into a larger role than many would have expected him to take on and he handled the challenge fairly well. He was consistently playing at least 20 minutes per game for the last stretch of the season.
He played in the top-four for much of the year, was able to add some grit and was usually fairly solid in his own zone. With the increased role, he was also able to contribute more offensively, totalling 20 points, the highest point total of his career (and nearly a 25-point pace), in just 68 games. In his last 26 games alone, Edmundson managed four goals and 10 points.
With Edmundson on an expiring contract and likely due for a raise, it seems to be unlikely that he’s back with the Hurricanes next year, especially once you factor in Jaccob Slavin, Brady Skjei, Jake Gardiner and Haydn Fleury as the other left-handed defensemen on the roster. That being said, you really can’t complain much about Edmundson’s tenure in Carolina and considering he was only really the secondary piece in the trade, he turned out alright.
Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • 
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