Suter Ready to Capitalize on Versatility with Canucks

"I'm joining a team that is going in the right direction."

It's been nearly six weeks since free agency opened and Pius Suter stayed patient, although it wasn't easy, while conversations unfolded ahead of the upcoming season. On Friday, the 27-year-old forward signed a two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks worth an average annual value of $1.6 million.

"It has been a longer six weeks than usual to be honest," Suter said. "I'm not going to lie about that. The Canucks always showed interest right from the beginning and I could tell they had done work on me and at the end, that is what excites me the most [about the opportunity]. I'm excited to find out where I'm going and I'm excited to get started."

"Bringing in Pius for the next couple of years really helps us strengthen our centre ice position," said Allvin. "Adding a player who has scored 43 goals the past three seasons will be a boost for us up front and he will also add to our penalty killing unit as well. His flexibility to be able to play down the middle or on the wing will give Toc more options when putting together his forward lines."

Suter echoed the sentiments of the General Manager, noting that he's ready to go with just over a month remaining before camp opens.

"I can play any of the three positions. I have in the past, all three of them, sometimes in the same game. So, we'll see how it goes and I've just got to show what I can bring to the table in training camp."

When speaking with Suter, who's on the call from his home in Zurich, Switzerland, he spoke on spending most of his time this offseason working out and going on the ice with some fellow Swiss players, who are also gearing up for the NHL season. When not training, he's been spending time outdoors and from the sounds of it, won't have a problem settling into a Vancouver lifestyle.

"We've been going on the lake a lot or swimming in the river, playing some paddle tennis and different kinds of activities," he said. "We go hiking but mainly just it's been really good weather, so it's been a lot of swimming and hanging out around the lake."

And some more good news for Canucks fans, he's also had a few friends put in a good word about the city, leaving him even more excited for the move.

"Going out west, being in a beautiful city. I've heard great things about it, and I know a lot of people who lived there for a while so everybody's been texting me."