The Vancouver Canucks made an early splash in free agency Tuesday, signing veteran goalie Ryan Miller to a three-year contract worth a reported $6 million a season.
Miller, who turns 34 on July 17, is a former Vezina Trophy winner who has spent most of his career with the Buffalo Sabres.
Miller was moved to the St. Louis Blues at the trade deadline last season, but did not play particularly well for the Blues in the playoffs.
The East Lansing, Mich., native has won 30 or more games seven times in his career. His best season came in 2009-10 with the Sabres, when he compiled a record of 41-18-8, posted a 2.22 goals-against average, a .929 save percentage and won the Vezina.
Miller collected a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver while playing for the United States and was in the net when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal for Canada. He won the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate player in the U.S. in 2001 while playing for Michigan State University.
Miller was brought in to take some of the pressure off Eddie Lack, who will now be able to develop as Vancouver’s back-up.
Miller and new Canucks general manager Jim Benning have a history. Benning, then chief scout of the Sabres, convinced Buffalo to draft Miller in the fifth round of the 1999 draft. Miller was playing Tier 2 junior in Ontario at the time.
Benning is now expected to try and add a goal-scorer to the Canuck roster. Vancouver scored just 191 goals last season. Only Florida and Buffalo scored fewer goals.
The Canucks headed into free agency with nearly $18 million in salary cap space, but still must sign restricted free agents Chris Tanev and Zack Kassian.
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