BURNABY, B.C. (CP) - The Vancouver Canucks and Mattias Ohlund have avoided salary arbitration after the defenceman was signed to a $14-million US, four-year deal Wednesday.
Ohlund's case was scheduled to be heard by an arbitrator Friday. He had reportedly wanted around $3.25 million US per season. His new deal works out $3.5 million per year.
''We are extremely pleased to have come to terms with Mattias,'' Canucks GM Dave Nonis said in a release. ''He has proven himself to be one of the premier defencemen in this league and we are thrilled that he will be wearing a Canucks jersey to start the 2005-06 season.''
The Ohlund deal pushes the Canucks payroll over $37 million, leaving them with less than $2 million under the salary cap.
In 2003-04, the Swede recorded 14 goals and 20 assists in 82 games and was plus-14. He added a goal and four assists in seven playoff games.
Ohlund, 28, has 54 goals and 158 assists in 480 career regular-season games.
The six-foot-two, 220-pound blue-liner was selected 13th overall by the Canucks in the 1994 draft.