One of the major questions facing the Vancouver Canucks has been answered.
With J.T. Miller heading into the final year of his contract, what would the Canucks do? Turns out, they'll get a contract extension done with the star forward, re-signing him to a seven-year contract.
Miller and the Canucks were, by the admission of both sides, a long way apart in contract talks earlier in the offseason. Patrik Allvin said he was "not super-optimistic" about getting a deal done but they evidently found common ground, landing on a $56 million deal with a cap hit of $8 million per season. That ties him for the 16th-highest cap hit among NHL centres. With 99 points last season, Miller was 9th in NHL scoring.
The cap hit comes in lower than some projections and should provide good value early in the contract if Miller can continue his torrid scoring pace of his last few years in Vancouver.
"He was the best player for us last year and he's a really, really good hockey player," said Allvin earlier in the offseason. He and Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford had always been clear that the goal was to get Miller re-signed, even if they weren't always sure they could get it done.
The contract provides a lot of peace of mind for both Miller and the Canucks next season, as it avoids Miller's situation becoming a distraction. Miller's agent, Brian Bartlett, had suggested he would cut off contract talks by the start of the regular season, giving the Canucks a deadline to get a deal done. Getting Miller re-signed now, before training camp, avoids even more distractions.
The deal also removes Miller as a potential trade chip for the Canucks. Miller's name frequently came up in trade rumours, though more connected to his age and expiring contract than any suggestions from the Canucks that they were shopping him.
By the time his new contract kicks in, Miller will be 30 years old and the contract will take him until he's 37. The pressure will be on the Canucks now to push hard to be competitive in the earlier years of the contract before his play declines and his significant cap hit becomes a burden.
Bo Horvat, the Canucks' captain, is also heading into the final year of his contract. It remains to be seen if Miller's contract extension makes it more difficult to re-sign Horvat.
