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Imagine for a moment, Alex Edler’s biggest takeaway from the World Hockey Championships in Germany isn’ta gold medalbut rather a reminder of what it’s like to play high-level, high-stakes hockey at this time of year.

Allow the mind to wander to a place where Edler representing Sweden over the past two weeks has rekindled his desire to perform on hockey’s biggest stage. And maybe after a summer contemplating his future and that of the Vancouver Canucks, perhaps Edler will come to the realization that to chase the Stanley Cup, he’s likely going to have to move on at some point in his hockey career.

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The goal of playing for one National Hockey League team and one team only is a noble one, but the reality is it only happens for a select few. With two years left on a current contract that will play him $5 million per season, the 31-year-old defenceman surely has at least one more significant deal ahead of him. But chances are with where Edler is in his career and where the Canucks are in their rebuild, it’s unlikely he hits the home run here. And so perhaps it’s time he starts taking a broad view to what lies ahead.