The Vancouver Canucks agreed to terms with veteran defenseman Filip Hronek on an eight-year contract, general manager Patrik Allvin announced Tuesday.
The deal carries an average annual value of $7.25 million for a standout blueliner who was a key cog in the Canucks’ rise to becoming a division champion this season.
Playing under coach Rick Tocchet’s stingy system, Hronek, 26, had five goals and 48 points to go along with a plus-33 rating. He averaged 23:26 time on the ice, just a touch below his 24:16 average in his first season with Vancouver, and played in 81 of 82 regular-season games.
In the postseason, where the Canucks advanced to Round 2 before falling to the Edmonton Oilers, he had one goal and two points. It was his first journey into the NHL playoffs after breaking into the league with the Detroit Red Wings.