Vancouver Canucks Should Re-Sign G Ryan Miller for 2017-18

Thather Demko is the Vancouver Canucks’ future. But until he’s ready, the Canucks should stick with current starter Ryan Miller.

Along with forwards Alexandre Burrows and Jannik Hansen, goaltender Ryan Miller was a much-discussed trade target at the 2017 trade deadline. But, the Vancouver Canucks decided to stick with him, and they should make the same decision in the summer.

Going into 2016-17, Miller was the declared starting goalie, with Jacob Markstrom expected to play roughly the same amount of games. Now 63 games into the season, we are seeing a much different picture.

Miller, a 36-year-old veteran, has appeared in 40 games for far, backup Markstrom in just 26 — and only 23 of them were starts.

Markstrom Is Not a Prospect

Playing your best goalie the most is obviously the right thing to do. It only becomes worrying when your designated starter of the future can’t outplay an aging Miller.

Markstrom was acquired from the Florida Panthers in 2014 at the age of 24. Yet, he was always seen as a prospect with plenty of time to develop — time he does not have.

As Canucks Army’s J.D. Burke pointed out, Markstrom appears to play his best hockey when he is under pressure and playing consistently. But, he is also 27 years old, which means it’s about time for him to establish himself as a starter.

Personally, I’m not buying the “he’ll be better once he gets 60 starts” story. Sure, it’s a possibility. But it isn’t nearly enough to rely on a Markstrom-Thatcher Demko tandem.

The Demko Factor

There are few people who don’t believe in Demko. The 21-year-old prospect goalie is the Canucks’ starter of the future. At least that’s the plan.

More from Editorials

• Which team won the Bo Horvat trade?
• What to expect from newcomers Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty
• Back to the future: How the skate uniforms became a regular Canucks’ feature night
• Canucks kick off 2023 with disappointing 6-2 loss to Islanders
• 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg

Because of that, we often hear fans saying a Markstrom-Demko duo is the way to go for the 2017-18 campaign. Having a goalie tandem with an average age of 24 just seems fitting for a rebuilding team.

The problem: Markstrom might not be ready to start, and Demko certainly isn’t ready to be in the NHL at all.

So far in 2016-17, Demko has appeared in 29 games for the AHL Utica Comets, recording a .899 save percentage along with a 2.88 goals-against average.

Goalie numbers actually tend to improve at the NHL level because NHL teams play better defence than their AHL affiliate’s, which is a great help for those in net. Still, Demko should advance to the AHL starting role and prove himself there before the Canucks even consider him for the NHL backup position.

Veteran Help

Back in January, The Canuck Way’s Alex Hoegler explored four possible trade options for Miller. The one I liked the most was the Dallas Stars. Hoegler’s proposal would have sent Kari Lehtonen to the Canucks along with a draft pick.

It might have been more than teams would have been willing to give up, but the important part here is that I would have preferred to get a veteran goalie back.

Testing Markstrom as a starter is the way to go, but he needs a veteran like Miller (or Lehtonen) to back him up.

It’s quite simple, really. Markstrom goes into the season as the starter, but if he doesn’t deliver in the first quarter of the season, the veteran backup takes his spot.

That way, the Canucks will finally have certainty about Markstrom.

Extending Miller

So, how do the Canucks get veteran help next season?

Extend Miller’s contract.

Sure, the Canucks could wait for free agency and see if they can find someone there. They could extend offers to Ben Bishop, Brian Elliott or Steve Mason.

But would those players be better?

In all likelihood, players like Bishop will be looking for huge long-term contracts, and there will be teams paying just that. Those teams will also likely be Stanley Cup contenders (or aspire to get there quickly).

Next: Benning Wins 2017 Trade Deadline

The Canucks however, have no interest in handing out Loui Eriksson-style contracts in free agency this year. Especially not for a goaltender.

If Miller is willing to stay, and willing to do so at a decent price and decent term, the Canucks should definitely extend his contract.