The Vancouver Canucks have made a significant move by extending defenseman Marcus Pettersson’s contract for six years, valued at $33 million, as announced on Wednesday. This decision comes shortly after Pettersson, along with forward Drew O’Connor, was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins last Friday, just hours following a trade that sent forward J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers.

At 28 years of age, Pettersson has made a notable impact this season, registering three goals and 15 assists over 49 games, including two points since joining the Canucks. His debut for Vancouver was impressive, where he logged a season-high of 25 minutes and 57 seconds in a close 3-2 overtime defeat to the Detroit Red Wings. Pettersson’s performance continued to shine as he played 23 minutes and 3 seconds in a 3-0 victory against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin expressed his enthusiasm regarding Pettersson’s potential, stating, “In just a couple of games, Marcus has already shown us the type of leadership, poise, and character that we want in a top-four defenseman.” Allvin emphasized Pettersson’s calmness on the ice, his ability to disrupt plays using his long reach and intelligence, and his skills in initiating offensive plays with effective first passes. The general manager conveyed his satisfaction in finalizing the contract extension, looking forward to Pettersson’s contributions now and in the future.

Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 174 pounds, the Swedish player has amassed a total of 17 goals and 134 assists, alongside 294 penalty minutes throughout his NHL career, which spans across 493 games played for the Canucks, Penguins, and Anaheim Ducks. Pettersson was initially drafted by the Ducks in the 2014 NHL draft, being selected in the second round as the 38th overall pick.