Canucks add veteran defenceman Jamie Oleksiak on two-year, $5 million deal
The 33-year-old six-foot-seven defender joins Vancouver after five seasons with Seattle in the NHL.
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The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenceman Jamie Oleksiak to a two-year contract with a $5 million cap hit.
Oleksiak, a Toronto native, spent the last five seasons with the Seattle Kraken. At six foot seven, the 33-year-old brings significant size to Vancouver's blueline, joining recent signing Luke Schenn as the Canucks address their defensive needs.
The move comes after the Canucks traded Marcus Pettersson to the New York Rangers earlier in the day. While Oleksiak scored just five goals and 15 points in 78 games last season, GM Ryan Johnson said his priority is making the team harder to play against rather than chasing offence.
Oleksiak is also the older brother of Canadian Olympic swimmer Penny Oleksiak.
The two-year contract carries minimal risk given the Canucks aren't expected to seriously compete over the next two seasons. It's part of an active first free agency for Johnson, who has also brought in forwards Paul Cotter, Akil Thomas, and Trey Fix-Wolansky.
