The Canucks’ leading scorer last season is in Vancouver long-term.
One of the biggest questions facing the Vancouver Canucks has been answered.
With JT Miller heading into the final year of his contract, what would the Canucks do? It turns out they’ll get the star forward a contract extension, re-signing him to a seven-year deal.
Miller and the Canucks were, by both sides’ admission, far apart in contract talks earlier in the offseason. Patrik Allvin said he was “not super optimistic” about getting a deal done, but they clearly found common ground, reaching a $56 million deal with a cap hit of $8 million per season. That ties him for the 16th-highest hit among NHL centers. With 99 points last season, Miller was 9th in NHL scoring.
The cap hit comes in below some projections and should provide good value early in the contract if Miller can continue his torrid scoring past of his last few years in Vancouver.
“He was the best player for us last year and he’s a very, very good hockey player,” Allvin said earlier in the offseason. He and Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford had always been clear the goal was to get Miller re-signed, although they weren’t always sure they could do it.
The contract provides a lot of peace of mind for both Miller and the Canucks next season, as it prevents Miller’s situation from becoming a distraction. Miller’s agent, Brian Bartlett, had suggested he would cut off contract talks at the start of the regular season, giving the Canucks a deadline to reach a deal. Getting Miller re-signed now, before training camp, avoids even more distractions.
The deal also eliminates Miller as a potential trade chip for the Canucks. Miller’s name came up frequently in trade rumors, though more related to his age and expiring contract than any suggestion the Canucks were shopping him.
Miller will be 30 years old when his new contract begins and the contract will take him to 37. Now the pressure is on the Canucks to strive to be competitive in the early years of the contract before his play declines. and his important headshot becomes a charge.
Canucks captain Bo Horvat is also heading into the final year of his contract. Whether Miller’s contract extension makes it more difficult to re-sign Horvat remains to be seen.