Canucks: Love it or hate it, Tanner Pearson is here to stay
The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed left-winger Tanner Pearson to a new three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3.25 million.
Over the past week the health of our team was the priority & this news had to wait. Today #Canucks officially announce Thatcher Demko has signed a 5-year contract extension & Tanner Pearson has agreed to terms for 3 years.https://t.co/k4vczBojK1⁰https://t.co/GcBrRKMVzP pic.twitter.com/Wb9SfUkHL1
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 8, 2021
You would think that the signing of a proven top-six forward with a Stanley Cup ring on his finger would excite the fans of the Canucks — especially at a 500,000 pay cut — but that wasn’t exactly the case yesterday when the deal went through.
A lot of fans and professionals in media follow the team closely were left scratching their heads in confusion. And the harsh response wasn’t directed at Pearson for signing the deal (Pearson is a good and respected player), it was frustration with management that set Canucks Twitter ablaze.
Like @SatiarShah said: If the GM himself said he thinks the window is two years from now, signing a soon-to-be 29-year-old who's already declined this season to a three-year extension doesn't align with the club's competitive cycle. #Canucks need to stick to a concrete plan
— Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) April 8, 2021
The course that is being set for this team by the general manager, Jim Benning, seems to flip and flop depending on the situation. As mentioned above, why should the Canucks be signing a player who is already 29 years of age to a three-year deal when Benning has already come out and said that the team won’t be competitive for at least another two seasons?
Love it or hate it, Pearson is here to stay, and here is why:
The Canucks know Pearson. Benning knows what Pearson can bring to the table and clearly, management feels comfortable enough with his skills that they felt it was necessary to bring him back to the fold. In the eyes of management, Pearson is worth more to the team right now than whatever he would fetch the Canucks at the trade deadline.
He had a career-high 45 points (21 goals, 24 assists) through 69 contests just one season ago, and he’s shown the Canucks that he can be a reliable two-way forward worthy of playing in any situation. Not only is he versatile, but he’s created some deep-rooted chemistry with Bo Horvat.
The two have played countless minutes together, and Pearson pulls his weight night in and night out against the opposition’s best players. Not only that, but Pearson can be just as good offensively as he is in the defensive end. It might be a bit hard to believe, but ever since his arrival to Vancouver, Pearson has quietly been one of the most consistent goal scorers on the team.
Next. Canucks: Signing Pearson may be a fatal mistake. dark
Pearson has 11 points (six goals, five assists) through 33 games this year and is currently out of game action with an injury.