▁to ▁improve ▁and ▁was ▁on ▁pace ▁to ▁record ▁new ▁career - high s ▁in ▁goals , ▁ass ists ▁and ▁points ▁when ▁he ▁suffered ▁a ▁back ▁injury ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁Can uck s ▁general ▁manager ▁Mike ▁Gill is ▁told ▁rep or ters ▁that ▁Ed ler ▁had ▁been ▁experien cing ▁tight ness ▁in ▁his ▁back ▁at ▁several ▁times ▁in ▁the ▁season , ▁but ▁an ▁open - ice ▁hit ▁against ▁Dallas ▁Stars ▁forward ▁Jam ie ▁B enn ▁during ▁a ▁game ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁January ▁might ▁have ▁contributed ▁to ▁his ▁back ▁problems . ▁Ed ler ▁under w ent ▁micro dis ce ct omy ▁surg ery ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁pressure ▁on ▁a ▁h erni ated ▁disk ▁and ▁was ▁s idel ined ▁for ▁two - and - a - half ▁months , ▁returning ▁for ▁the ▁second - last ▁game ▁of ▁the ▁regular ▁season . ▁Fin ishing ▁the ▁season ▁with ▁ 8 ▁goals ▁and ▁ 3 3 ▁points ▁over ▁ 5 1 ▁games , ▁he ▁ranked ▁second ▁among ▁team ▁def enc emen ▁in ▁scoring , ▁behind ▁Ehr hoff . ▁His ▁ 2 4 ▁minutes ▁and ▁ 1 7 ▁seconds ▁of ▁average ▁ice ▁time ▁per ▁game ▁also ▁led ▁the ▁Can uck s . ▁As ▁the ▁Can uck s ▁won ▁the ▁Pres idents ' ▁Tro phy ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁franch ise ▁history , ▁the ▁team ▁entered ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁play offs ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁seed ▁in ▁the ▁West . ▁El imin ating ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Black h aw ks , ▁Nash ville