As expected, the Vancouver Canucks have reached an agreement with veteran forward Alex Chiasson on a one-year contract. The deal will carry a salary of $750K. Chiasson was in Canucks camp on a professional tryout but did enough to earn a contract with the team. GM Jim Benning explained exactly how:
Alex is an established veteran who plays a physical game and brings a valuable net-front presence to our team, particularly on the power play. He’s a bigger player that doesn’t shy away from the tough areas of the ice and has fit in well with the rest of our forward group so far.
This isn’t the first time Chiasson has earned his way onto a roster through a PTO. In 2017 he joined Washington Capitals training camp on a tryout basis and quickly landed a contract, and in 2018 did the same with the Edmonton Oilers. A versatile player that set a career-high with 22 goals and 38 points in 2018-19, he actually could step directly into a pretty substantial role with the Canucks, at least at the start of the season.
In fact, he’s been skating next to Elias Pettersson in recent days, suggesting that he very well may start the season there when the Canucks kick things off tomorrow night. He’ll be in a familiar stomping ground, as Vancouver travels to Edmonton where Chiasson has spent the last three seasons.