Miller still has plenty of time on Canucks clock
Veteran goaltender and doting dad ‘trying to make the best of this year’ as free agency looms
Ryan Miller is in a good place as a professional athlete, supportive husband and attentive father.
This is good news for the Vancouver Canucks. The NHL club not only has a proven performer who has raised the competitive bar on the ice and in the room, but there will be a conversation at some point about possibly extending the contract of the 36-year-old soon-to-be unrestricted free agent.
Salary, term and defining a specific roster role are hurdles for management and Miller to clear. And what’s palatable for the starter to return after his three-year, US$18-million deal expires — and work in tandem with Jacob Markstrom to allow prospect Thatcher Demko to have another year of minor-league development — will be based on Miller building on a solid season.
However, there is the other side to all this, a side we seldom see, but means so much. Miller enjoys this city and the challenge of keeping the Canucks in the playoff-chase conversation.
That allows him to balance a hectic life with wife Noureen DeWulf, whose acting career is based in Los Angeles — where she also raises son Bodhi, who turns two next month.
“I want my wife to be the full and complete person she can be,” Miller said Wednesday. “She has become a great mother, but she also has (career) aspirations and we’ve always made things work. Hockey is a short window in your life and you always weigh different factors.
“Part of being in a partnership is having the support in what I do. She’s carrying a bigger load than she needs to as a hockey wife. And it’s tough to be away from Bodhi as much as three weeks at a time. I show up now and he’s got sentences instead of words. FaceTime helps. And that’s where we’re at.”
Where Miller will be contractually was cause for some debate at the outset of this season.
He could have been a candidate to be moved at the March 1 trade deadline. But as the season progressed, those rumours were quelled by his improving numbers.
Miller’s 2.48 goals-against average is his best since posting a 2.47 GAA in 19 games after being traded to St. Louis in 2013-14 season. And his .920 save percentage hasn’t been bettered since posting a .923 mark in Buffalo in 2013-14 as well. Two months ago, Miller ranked 40th in save percentage (.911) and 38th in goals-against average (2.73). And he has always stated that his play had to reach a level to force management to consider an extension. He’s certainly trending in the right direction, but you wonder if he would agree to a two-year deal at $3 million to $4 million annually.
“I have to talk to management at some point and see if they’re interested in something,” added Miller. “They’d have to give me an indication of a guideline — or what the plan will be — and kind of go from there. I’ve become more comfortable here and I’ve been trying to make the best of this year.”
Trevor Linden, president of hockey operations, will take a hard look at where Miller might fit in their future plans. The Canucks could always opt for a bridge goalie or Miller could sign elsewhere, but they know strong goaltending is the franchise backbone.
“Situations are fluid and change and we’re going to reassess at the end of the year and see what our options are,” said Linden. “The one thing we haven’t talked about this year is goaltending because it has been good. And Ryan has been a big part of that. He has given us stability and a foundation — he’s a pro.
“It’s a good setup with him and Jacob, but a lot could happen by the end of the year and we need to dig into these things and figure out our options.”
It’s a season that has included a ninegame losing skid and a six-game winning streak for Miller. He also reached the 350-win plateau for his career on Jan. 2 to join John Vanbiesbrouck (374) and Tom Barrasso (369) as the only U.S.-born goalies to reach that mark.
“From here, it’s going to be not proving it to anybody else, but proving to myself that I can play well and enjoy it and get into the playoff mix,” said Miller.
“Any day in the NHL is a good day and I’m not going to close any doors. It would be an outstanding opportunity to continue to play, but that is not in this moment.
“But I appreciate things. I’m not trying to chase things so hard. I’m trying to let go and trust everything in my game so much that I stay in every play and do what I’m good at and not get too strung out.”