Vancouver Canucks pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Chris Tanev is hopeful he can iron out a new contract with the only NHL team he's ever suited up for.

"I've been here now for 10 years and I've loved every minute of it," Tanev told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. "There's definitely a trust between me and management and the ownership group, which has been awesome to me.

"Whether it's one year or many years (on the next contract), I'd love to play my whole career here. Who knows what's going to happen? But I love it here, I want to stay here, I think the team is going in the right direction, and if we come back to play this year, I think we're going to have a real good shot at competing and going far. I'd like to be part of that in the future."

Due to this season's lengthy layoff and the uncertainty surrounding next year's salary cap, Tanev admitted there's a possibility that UFAs around the league take less term on new deals this offseason.

"I definitely could see a lot of guys signing a one-year deal and then hoping the league gets financially better next summer," he said.

Tanev, 30, has played 514 games for the Canucks since joining ahead of the 2010-11 season. He's developed into a veteran presence on a young, up-and-coming team, which is something general manager Jim Benning sees plenty of value in.

"There are guys who really help other players along, and I would say Chris Tanev is one of those guys," Benning said. "I'd like to try to figure out a way to bring Chris back because I think he's a good leader and our younger players look up to him."

The Canucks have just over $20 million in projected cap space with 14 players signed to the roster. Tanev's current deal pays him $4.45 million per season.

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