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Canucks might move a goalie, but it won’t be Ryan Miller

Vancouver Canucks v Calgary Flames - Game Six

Ryan Miller

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The Vancouver Canucks have some decisions to make. Jacob Markstrom, who is coming off of a superb season in the AHL, is a restricted free agent while Eddie Lack has just a year left on his deal. Throw Ryan Miller into the mix and the Canucks have a bit of a logjam between the pipes.

It’s entirely possible, if not outright probable, that Vancouver will trade one of its netminders this summer, but Canucks GM Jim Benning has confirmed that Miller won’t be the one shipped off, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Miller, who has two seasons left on his contract with an annual cap hit of $6 million, is coming off something of a rough season as he was plagued towards the end of the season with a knee injury. He finished the campaign with a 2.53 GAA and .911 save percentage in 45 contests.

Lack did a fine job filling in for him for the most part, posting a 2.45 GAA and .921 save percentage in 41 regular season games. Part of the reason why he might be moved, as Benning previously noted, is because he’s too good to risk losing on the free agent market. So if the Canucks don’t believe he fits into their long-term plans, then it might be better to trade him now while there’s likely a market for him thanks in part to his affordable $1.15 million cap hit for 2015-16.

That would leave Markstrom as Miller’s understudy. Markstrom struggled at the NHL level last season, but it’s hard to read much into that as he only got 78 minutes worth of ice time. In the minors he played a key role in the Utica Comets reaching the Calder Cup Final.

Vancouver is also looking to get a second-round selection in the upcoming draft as they gave theirs to Calgary. It’s possible that the Canucks might ultimately trade a goaltender for a pick, but they’re “also looking to make hockey trades,” per Benning, so there’s no guarantee that a pick will be involved.

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