Canucks News: Trading vs. Re-Signing G Ryan Miller
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller is playing better than many would have thought going into the season. Does that mean he should stay?
Today’s edition of our daily Canucks news will be all about Ryan Miller.
Going into the season, GM Jim Benning made clear Miller was the starter, with Jacob Markstrom backing him up. Many fans wanted to see Markstrom getting the majority of the starts instead.
Today, it looks like the Canucks made the right decision. Miller has stolen more than one win for a team that is experiencing mighty scoring struggles.
But, he is also 36 years old and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Should he be re-signed?
Re-Signing Miller
Grady Sas (Daily Hive) — Miller Time countdown: Will Canucks re-sign Ryan Miller?
"Before the season began, Jim Benning went on Vancouver radio and proclaimed for everyone to hear that Ryan Miller was the Canucks’ #1 goalie. He was criticized by many for the declaration, given the presence of up-and-coming goalie Jacob Markstrom, but 48 games into the season, the Canucks GM has been proven right, particularly of late.The 36-year-old netminder’s resurgent play since the beginning of December has been instrumental in allowing the Canucks to within one point of the second wild card spot."
When the Canucks signed AHL goalie Richard Bachman to an early contract extension in July, their plans seemed clear: Let Miller go in free agency and expose Bachman in the expansion draft.
Six months later, we have to wonder whether Canucks management has changed their minds. Miller is playing better than anyone expected, and he might be worth keeping around for a while longer.
If Miller is traded or walks away in free agency, the Canucks will be left with Bachman, Thatcher Demko and Michael Garteig for the next season. None of those players look like they would be capable of being NHL regulars right now. Especially if Markstrom suffered an injury, things could get ugly quickly.
But, it wouldn’t be easy to find a replacement on the free-agent market. So, the easiest thing to do would be to keep Miller around for another season, at least as an experienced backup for Markstrom.
Unless…
Trading Miller
Alex Hoegler (The Canuck Way) — Four Possible Trade Destinations for Ryan Miller
"The Vancouver Canucks front office and ownership can say “mission accomplished,” right now. That is, this team is competitive and in the playoff race. They sit one point behind the Calgary Flames for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference – with three games in hand.And that’s mostly because of goalie Ryan Miller, who has gone 5-1-2 in January with a .945 save percentage and two shutouts. So why would the Canucks want to trade the best and hottest player on their team, when the playoffs are in sight?"
One of the main reasons why Miller signed in Vancouver was the proximity to Los Angeles, with his wife being a Hollywood actress. He has a modified no-trade clause that allows/forces him to provide a list with five teams he would agree to be traded to.
Chances are, he won’t list any east coast teams, but I certainly like the Dallas scenario from Alex Hoegler’s article for three reasons.
- Dallas is about as close to LA as Vancouver.
- The Stars, despite playing worse than they used to, are a playoff contender with star players like Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn.
- The Canucks would almost certainly get a goalie in return — Kari Lehtonen in Hoegler’s proposal — that could back up Markstrom next season.
One thing is clear: For this to happen, the Canucks would have to be out of the playoff race. Plus, they would need to accept that they are a rebuilding team.
Next: Top 5 Draft Targets in Playoff Scenario
If that happens, trading Miller to Dallas for Lehtonen and a draft pick would be an outstanding scenario.
I’m all for it.