Ducks to sign G Miller, ink D Fowler to extension

Ryan Miller has agreed to sign a two-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks, the team announced Saturday.

Terms of the goaltender's contract were not released by the team, but TSN reports Miller's deal is worth $4 million.

The Ducks also signed defenseman Cam Fowler to an eight-year contract extension through the 2025-26 season. Fowler will receive $52 million over the life of the deal, the Orange County Register reported.

Miller, 36, won the Vezina Trophy as a member of the Buffalo Sabres in 2010 and ranks 19th all-time in NHL history with 358 victories.

The 14-year veteran is 358-262-73 with a 2.61 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage in 709 career games.

Miller entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick of the Sabres in 1999 and spent his first 10 1/2 seasons with Buffalo. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues during the 2013-14 season and signed with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent the following season.

Last season with the Canucks, Miller posted a subpar 18-29-6 record with a 2.80 GAA and a .914 save percentage over 54 games.

Fowler, 25, was a first-time All-Star with the Ducks last season after totaling a career-high 11 goals and 28 assists (39 points) in 80 games. He spent his first seven NHL seasons with Anaheim, totaling 45 goals and 172 assists (217 points) in 494 games.

"Cam Fowler is the type of player we want here long term," Ducks executive vice president and general manager Bob Murray said. "He has the obvious skill set, but also tremendous character and a drive to succeed. As good as he is, he's not yet in his prime years, so we know the best is yet to come."

Anaheim went 46-23-13 (105 points) to win the Pacific Division and finish third in the Western Conference last season. The Ducks advanced to the Western Conference finals before being eliminated by the Nashville Predators in six games.

Canucks want Ryan Miller back next season: report

Ryan Miller can become an unrestricted free agent July 1, but the Vancouver Canucks are hoping they can sign him to a new contract, the Vancouver Province reported.

Miller, 36, was 18-29-6 with a 2.80 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage in 54 games this season. He signed a three-year, $18 million contract (average annual value $6 million) prior to the 2014-15 season, according to CapFriendly.com.

The Canucks have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past two seasons after making it in Miller's first season.

"We have something to offer Ryan that he already knows," Canucks general manager Jim Benning told the newspaper Thursday. "We've got some positives for him and if that's the route we go, that's why we're doing it.

Benning said he'd like the Canucks to get younger, but feels his team will need some veteran presences to lead the way.

"As we're transitioning these young players into our lineup, I feel that if we have solid goaltending on a night-to-night basis, we can be competitive," he said.

Miller split time with Jacob Markstrom this season. Markstrom, who was 10-11-3 with a 2.63 GAA and .910 save percentage in 26 games, signed a three-year, $11 million contract extension with the Canucks last season which runs through 2019-20, according to CapFriendly.com.

"There's no worse feeling than trying to develop young players and get them up and going when you know you don't have a chance to win," Benning said. "Ryan and Jacob have a healthy relationship because they're competitive and respect each other."

Miller is 358-262-74 with 39 shutouts in 709 games (701 starts) with the Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and Canucks. He ranks 19th on the NHL all-time list for goalie wins and is fourth in wins among active players, behind Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers (453 wins), Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers (405) and Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins (375).