The Vancouver Canucks like defenseman Chris Tanev, and they’re keeping him around a little longer.
The team announced they’ve re-signed the restricted free agent defenseman to a one-year deal. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports it’s worth $2 million.
Tanev, 24, is coming off a career-best season in 2013-14 in which he had six goals and 17 points in 64 games. He played big minutes for Vancouver as he averaged nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game and became one of their most dependable blue liners.
Now that GM Jim Benning has dealt Jason Garrison to Tampa Bay, it’s expected Tanev will earn more responsibilities. With Kevin Bieksa, Dan Hamhuis, and Alexander Edler as their top three, Tanev can duke it out with Ryan Stanton and newcomer Luca Sbisa for the No. 4 spot. Expect Tanev to have the edge on that competition.