Just hours before free agency opens, the Vancouver Canucks officially announce they have extended forward Conor Garland to a six-year, $36 million extension worth an average annual value (AAV) of $6 million.
This extension was first reported last week by Donnie & Dhali’s Rick Dhaliwal. The contract includes a full no-movement clause for years 1-3 and a modified no-trade clause (15-team no-trade list) for the final three years of the deal.
Garland has been a member of the organization since the Canucks acquired him on the day of the 2021 NHL draft. During his four-year stint in Vancouver, Garland has scored 75 goals and 120 assists for 195 points in 321 games. The 5’10” forward has consistently put up point totals around the 46-52 range, while being one of the most durable forwards in the club, having missed one game over the past three seasons and just six over his four years in Vancouver.
Canucks General Manager, Patrik Allvin, had this to say regarding the recently-signed winger:
“Conor is a core member of our hockey team and a player who has taken on a bigger role with the club the past couple seasons,” said Allvin. “His commitment to us by signing this deal shows how confident he is in our organization’s vision and direction. He competes hard every day, drives play on the ice, is relentless on the forecheck and is really tough to play against. Gars is an emerging leader in the group and works extremely hard to keep himself and the players around him accountable.”
The 29-year-old has one year remaining on his contract before he was set to hit the unrestricted free agent market. And on a day that the Canucks are likely to lose Brock Boeser and Pius Suter to free agency, management gets their work done so they don’t run into a similar issue next season.
Moments before the Canucks announced the Garland extension, they also extended goaltender Thatcher Demko to a three-year, $25.5 million contract, carrying a $8.5 million AAV.