Canucks lock up Jovanovski, Linden
TSN.ca Staff
1/27/2003
The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenceman Ed Jovanovski and forward Trevor Linden to new multi-year contract extensions, TSN has learned.
Jovanovski's new contract is a three-year, $15 million deal that will see him receive $5 million per season. Linden's deal is a three-year, $6.3 million contract that will pay him $2.1 million per season. There is a club option for a fourth year.
The team has called a news conference for 3pm et/noon pt.
Jovanovski, 26, is in the final year of a contract that pays him $2.8 million US this season and would have become a restricted free agent July 1. Linden, 32, would have become an unrestricted free agent at the same time.
Jovanovski has been out of the lineup since he fractured his left heel in a Dec. 28 game against Anaheim. He skated for about 50 minutes on Sunday morning.
While the Canucks had the day off today, Jovanovski skated hard on his own. He's aiming to participate in a full practice with the Canucks on Wednesday and hopes to be able to play for Vancouver on Thursday. If so, he would be good to go for this weekend's NHL All-Star game in south Florida.
Jovanovski was picked first overall by Florida in the 1994 draft and helped the Panthers reach the Stanley Cup final in 1996.
He was traded to Vancouver on Jan. 17, 1999, in the deal that sent Pavel Bure to Florida.
Linden was taken second overall by the Canucks in 1988 and played nine seasons before being dealt the New York Islanders in 1998. He also played a short stint in Montreal before being dealt to Washington in March of 2001.
Cheers,
Aquaman