The Vancouver Canucks and leading scorer J.T. Miller have agreed to a long-term contract extension.
The contact, which will begin in the 2023-24 season, will pay Miller $56 million over seven years, carrying an $8-million average annual value.
This extension comes following Miller's most productive season of his career, scoring 32 goals and notching 99 points, ending the regular season at ninth in NHL scoring. Just shy of the 100-point mark, Miller had the highest points total for a Canuck since Daniel Sedin's 104-point campaign in 2010-2011.
"J.T. Miller is an impact player in this League and we are thrilled to have him re-signed with the Canucks long term," said general manager Patrik Allvin. "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."
Since arriving in Vancouver in 2019, Miller has not only been the team's most productive forward, he has also been playing the best hockey of his career, scoring 74 goals and 217 points in 202 games with the Canucks. He has led the team in scoring for two of his three seasons.
Prior to this extension, J.T. Miller had one more season on the books with the Canucks before reaching UFA status, inevitably leading to several months of trade speculation. Miller remained with Vancouver as several key dates passed, including the 2021-22 trade deadline and draft day.
"I don't know that I can handicap it at this time," president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre earlier in the of-season. "We'll just have to see where it goes."
"J.T. likes Vancouver," Miller's agent Brian Bartlett told MacIntyre at the time. "He likes his teammates, he likes the coaching staff and he likes management."
Bartlett echoed that statement on Friday in an interview with MacIntyre.
Earlier this season, Allvin and Rutherford re-signed Miller's linemate Brock Boeser to a three-year, $19.95 million bridge deal. The club is still in negotiations with captain Bo Horvat, who has one more season remaining before UFA status.
Miller was initially drafted 15th overall by the New York Rangers in the 2011 NHL Draft and played four seasons with the organization before being dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead of the 2017-18 trade deadline. His current contract keeps him on the Canucks through the 2029-30 season.
