The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenseman Erik Gudbranson to a one-year contract extension worth $3.5 million.
Now he needs to prove he’s worth a longer-term commitment.
Gudbranson was traded to the Canucks last summer from Florida, and it wasn’t an easy transition. By season’s end, he’d only played 30 games after undergoing wrist surgery. The 25-year-old finished with one goal and five assists and was minus-14.
His most memorable moment as a Canuck was probably the fight he had with Toronto’s Matt Martin.
“Erik is a big, strong physical defender who I know feels has a lot to prove and has worked diligently in his injury rehab,” said GM Jim Benning. “He has leadership qualities that will be important for our young team and we are excited to see him healthy and back on the blue line next season.”
The one-year contract means that Gudbranson can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Related: The Canucks have a big decision to make with Gudbranson