CKNW radio in Vancouver reports that the Canucks and forward Taylor Pyatt have agreed on a a two-year deal worth over $3 million US.

Pyatt, 25, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

— TSN

Taylor Pyatt's a smart guy.

Coming off a career season, his first offensively significant campaign through six years in the NHL, Pyatt could have chased the money and received a bigger payday.

Others in his position have done the same.

But the thing is, while Pyatt may have been able to turn a 23-goal season into a $2.5-million a year deal with Chicago or Phoenix or Florida, there's absolutely no guarantee his sudden goal spurt would continue in a second-line role with a struggling team.

On the Canucks? Twenty-three goals is the low-water mark for Pyatt, simply because he'll immediately be pencilled in with two Top 25 scorers and that spot, with the limited number of snipers vying for it, is his to lose. And, should Pyatt be able to bump his numbers up into the 60-point range over the next two years of this deal, he'll suddenly be looking at a lot more cash than $2-million a year.

Playing with the Sedins is as good a role as he can hope to have in the NHL, and the Canucks are about to allow Pyatt to prove he can score the way he did in Sudbury as a junior.

Taylor Pyatt's a smart guy.