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“I didn’t know what to expect but I really appreciate that,” he said. “It’s great to have such a veteran player. He’s made me feel comfortable. Anything I need to ask, I just ask him.”

Which is something you can’t put on the back of a hockey card, but something that the Canucks have come to value.

On Thursday, Edler and his agent Mark Stowe met with Canucks general manager Jim Benning to discuss the veteran blue-liner’s future with the club.

Benning described the meeting with the pending UFA as “productive,” and that can mean a lot of things. But in this case it means the Canucks are looking to extend Edler’s contract which, among other things, will end the annual exercise of guessing what Edler could fetch at the trade deadline.

Photo by Jae C. Hong / AP

“I don’t think it’s too often you can play this many games with the same organization,” Edler says. “In that way I feel very fortunate. I’ve gone through some ups and downs here, but it feels like our team is on the way up again and that’s very exciting.”

Hmmm, doesn’t sound like a guy who’s anxious to test the open market.

“He was friends with Daniel and Hank (Sedin) and he’s a lot like them now,” Benning says of Edler. “His workouts, his preparation, the way he handles himself off the ice. I think Petey really looks up to him. He’s the longest-tenured player we have and that means something.”

As for how much that means, we’re about to find out.

Edler is winding up — can it be? — his 13th season with the Canucks and while he’s been many things during his time here, a fuller, more complete picture of the big Swede is coming into focus.