Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports

The Vancouver Canucks have reached an agreement with defenseman Yannick Weber, according to a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The deal will pay Weber, who was headed towards unrestricted free agency following Vancouver’s decision not to qualify the 26-year-old in order to duck a tough arbitration hearing earlier this week, $1.5 million on a one-year deal.

“It’s a good gamble for Weber,” Friedman added during Sportsnet’s signing season broadcast. “He’ll be an unrestricted free agent next year and if he can score (11 goals) again, he’ll do very well.”

This is definitely an example of a player chasing the ‘fit’. Weber benefitted enormously from being a right-handed triggerman on Vancouver’s first power-play unit, and the power play benefitted too. The Swiss-born defenseman’s presence at 5-on-4 opened up a tonne of stuff for the Sedin twins and Radim Vrbata. 

Weber also flashed some very good chemistry on a second pair with Dan Hamhuis, and I’d expect him to get a long look at that spot throughout next season.

This deal is a savvy bet by Weber and his camp, but it’s also a good outcome for the Canucks. Weber was primed to cash in had he gone to arbitration. I’d pegged his likely valuation at $2.5 million earlier this month. So the Canucks managed to get a very useful contributor for a deal well below what he likely would’ve received had they qualified him.

A win and a good bet all around.