*Photo from Nucks Misconduct*
Going from being involved in trade rumors to this is quite a change. The Vancouver Canucks have agreed to a 7 year, $56 million extension with C/LW JT Miller, according to an announcement from the Canucks on Friday.
Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said of Miller that "J.T. Miller is an impact player in this League and we are thrilled to have him re-signed with the Canucks long term. His production last season speaks for itself and his competitive drive provides a standard that our players can look up to. He will continue to be a key piece of this team for years to come."
With the Canucks in the middle of a downward spiral last season, Miller was floated around in trade rumors, given the Canucks record and the fact that he was under control for another season. Now, a heel turn has been pulled, with Miller getting a new extension on top of the one year he had left.
Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau weighed in on Miller, saying "He just comes to play and he cares about winning. I remember as soon as I got to Vancouver, he told me all he cares about is winning and those guys are hard to find. He pretty well was part of every situation that we had. To us he did an awful lot."
This season, Miller is on the final year of a 5 year deal signed before the 2018-2019 season. He will make $5.25 million this season. His new deal kicks in when the 2023-2024 season begins. He has a $8 million AAV, making $24 million in signing bonuses over all 7 years. He has a full no movement clause for the first 4 seasons, followed by a modified no trade clause for the final 3 years.
Last season was Miller's 3rd year with the Canucks. He ended the season with career highs in goals and assists, notching 32 and 67 respectively. He added a +15 plus/minus in 80 regular season games. Miller also set career highs in points with 99, power play points with 38, and 206 shots on goal.
Miller has 10 years of NHL experience, split between 3 teams. He has 169 goals and 285 assists, notching a +42 plus/minus rating in an average of 16:47 of ice time per game in 637 regular season games. Miller has an extra 9 goals and 35 assists in 78 career playoff games.
Asked about his extension, Miller said that "It's a very easy decision to stay there, especially from a hockey standpoint. We have a very good group of players and a good group of people, and I think when you put those together we can do some pretty special things. I think we're just scratching the surface with our potential and I think our expectations are to win the Stanley Cup. We want to be playing in the playoffs and competing for the Stanley Cup."
The extension of Miller further adds to a forward group that was bolstered in the offseason. The Canucks brought in Curtis Lazar, Ilya Mikheyev, and Andrei Kuzmenko in free agency this summer, also agreeing to terms with Dakota Joshua.
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