Garland signs five-year, $24.75 million contract with Canucks

Conor Garland signed a five-year, $24.75 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. It has an average annual value of $4.95 million.

"To sign for] five years, obviously the team wants you there for five years and I want to be there for that long too," Garland told Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver. "It's a chance for me to be able to compete for a Stanley Cup for the next five years, which excites me quite a bit."
The 25-year-old forward could have become a restricted free agent Wednesday. He and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson were traded to the Canucks by the Arizona Coyotes on Friday for the No. 9 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft (forward
[Dylan Guenther
) and forwards
Loui Eriksson
, Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel.
"We're pleased to have reached a long-term deal with Conor today," Canucks general manager Jim Benning said. "He's a skilled young player who plays hard, produces offensively and will complement our top-six forward group."
Garland scored 39 points (12 goals, 27 assists) in 49 games for the Coyotes this season. The Canucks finished last in the seven-team Scotia North Division (23-29-4) and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons; the Coyotes (24-26-6) finished fifth in the eight-team Honda West Division and have made the playoffs once since 2012-13 (last season).
"I think both of us are just coming in to try to help them get over the top," Garland said. "Ekman-Larsson is
of Braden Holtby's contract Tuesday, and the 31-year-old goalie will become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday. He signed a two-year, $8.6 million contract with Vancouver ($4.3 million average annual value) on Oct. 9, 2020.