Vancouver Canucks add Tanner Pearson to long-term injured reserve list

The Vancouver Canucks have placed forward Tanner Pearson on long-term injured reserve, the club announced Friday morning.

Pearson, 30, has been out of the Canucks’ lineup since Nov. 9 while recovering from a wrist injury. The veteran winger has undergone multiple surgeries and will miss the rest of the 2022–23 season — and there’s no guarantee he plays next year, either.

The Canucks initially acquired Pearson from the Pittsburgh Penguins back on Feb. 25, 2019, sending defenceman Erik Gudbranson the other way in the deal.

Pearson is under contract through the end of the 2023–24 season at a $3.25 million annual NHL cap hit. He’s played parts of five seasons with the Canucks, topping out at 21 goals and 45 points in 69 games with the club in 2019–20.

The Los Angeles Kings originally selected Pearson in the first round (No. 30 overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. The 6’1″, 201-pound winger from Kitchener, ON made his NHL debut with the Kings in the 2013 playoffs and won the Stanley Cup with the team the following year.

Pearson spent parts of seven seasons in Los Angeles before being traded to the Penguins midway through the 2018–19 season. Then, after struggling to catch on in Pittsburgh, Pearson found himself on the move to Vancouver just over three months later.

Through 590 career games over parts of 10 seasons with the Kings, Penguins, and Canucks, Pearson has collected 133 goals and 272 points. He’s added nine goals and 23 points in 51 playoff contests.