Source: Brandon Sutter to sign long-term extension with Canucks

NHL agent Craig Oster of Newport Sports represents both Brandon Sutter and Eric Fehr, and yesterday’s trade of Sutter to Vancouver and Fehr signing with Pittsburgh truly did go hand and hand.

Over the past several days, the Sutter camp was granted permission to speak to the Canucks which helped facilitate the trade on Tuesday as the framework of a long-term deal between Sutter and the Canucks is already in place.

Sutter plans to sign a long-term extension with the Canucks of at least five years and the deal is likely to be completed by the end of the week, according to a league source.

The Canucks view Sutter a “foundation” player and intend to play him in a second line center role this season.

“Acquiring Brandon Sutter, to me he’s a foundation piece for our group going forward,” GM Jim Benning told reporters on Tuesday.

“He can play a good two-way game. He brings us speed. He goes to the net hard. I thought in the playoffs for Pittsburgh last year, he was really good. He’s a playoff player. When the games mean something, that’s when he’s at his best.”

When the Penguins inquired about Fehr during the interview period, Oster knew if Fehr potentially signed in Pittsburgh it was going to have an impact on Sutter but that’s the way the business works and Sutter is getting a nice new contract out of the trade.