A few days before the NHL’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to kick in, the Vancouver Canucks extended a bright piece of their future to what may be the last eight-year contract in the league.

Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson announced Friday afternoon that the organization has agreed to terms with defenceman Zeev Buium on an eight-year contract carrying a $9.38 million average annual value.

Buium will earn $75.04 million over the eight-year contract. According to PuckPedia, the contract includes a full no-movement clause and a modified 15-team no-trade list for the final three seasons.

“Zeev has settled in nicely with our organization since his trade to Vancouver last season, and we are extremely happy to see him make this long-term commitment to the Canucks,” said Johnson. “He is a key member of our young core and a player we will build around moving forward. Zeev has a lot of upside, and we feel with his abilities he will flourish in the system and environment we are creating inside our locker room. We look forward to working together and creating a strong partnership and foundation for our future.”

Per Donnie & Dhali’s Rick Dhaliwal, shortly after the extension announcement, Buium’s agent Kurt Overhardt said the Johnson was “first class” to deal with throughout the negotiating process.

Buium, 20, was the centrepiece of the return of Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild last December. He made a big first impression with his new team when he scored a goal and an assist in the first seven minutes in a Canucks uniform.

The San Diego, California, native finished his rookie season with six goals and 20 assists for 26 points in 76 games split between the Wild and Canucks. In Minnesota, Buium scored three goals and 14 points in 31 games, while averaging 18:28 minutes per game. While in Vancouver, Buium scored three goals and 12 points in 45 games, averaging 20:21 minutes per night.

Despite only playing half the season in Vancouver, Buium made a lasting impression on fans, as he took home the Pavel Bure Award for the Most Exciting Player for his on-ice play and practice fights.

Check out an emergency episode of Canucks Conversation reacting to the extension here: