Vancouver Canucks re-sign Chris Tanev
The Vancover Canucks have re-signed defenseman Chris Tanev to a one-year, $2 million deal, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
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Tanev, 24, could see an expanded role with the team in 2014-15 after a strong year playing at the end of Vancouver’s defensive rotation. A member of the Canucks for the past four seasons, he had a breakout season in 2013-14 by recording six goals and 17 points in 64 games.
Tanev also played nearly 21 minutes a night, establishing himself as one of the team’s most steady defensemen early in the season. With the trade of veteran Jason Garrison to the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this offseason, Tanev is only positioned to play a bigger role in the Canucks’ defensive schemes next season.
As Pro Hockey Talk notes, Tanev will likely compete with Ryan Stanton and Luca Sbisa for the fourth spot in Vancouver’s top-two defensive lines. Sbisa was acquired by the Canucks this offseason as part of the deal that sent Ryan Kesler to the Anaheim Ducks. Kevin Bieksa, Dan Hamhuis and Alexander Edler are penned in as the top three defensemen on the team’s depth chart.
The Canucks originally signed Tanev as a free agent in May 2010. Over the next three years, he split time between Vancouver and the team’s AHL affiliate in Chicago, but finally established himself with his breakout effort last season. If he continues to play well for the Canucks, don’t be surprised if he eventually gets some multi-year offers.
Over the past four years, Tanev has recorded eight goals and 27 points in 156 NHL games. Obviously, the vast majority of those came last season.