Canucks land a pair of free agents
VANCOUVER, CANADA (The Spread) – The Vancouver Canucks continued their aggressive offseason by landing the top free agent forward on the market.
Jim Benning hasn’t rested on his laurels this offseason in Vancouver. One day after signing goaltender Ryan Miller to a contract, Benning landed the top free agent forward on the market in Radim Vrbata, who signed a two-year contract.
Vrbata, 33, is still a formidable top six forward after scoring 20 games and racked up 51 points in the Coyotes last season. He had a career high 62 points in the 2011-12 season and will fill a major need in Vancouver for scorers. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the deal is worth $10 million over those two years.
As for Miller, he signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the team on July 1. He was highly inconsistent in 2013-14 with the Buffalo Sabres, who traded him to St. Louis before the deadline. He was great for the Blues immediately following the trade, but he gave up plenty of soft goals in the postseason and had a rather cavalier attitude to the media throughout.
Despite failing to mesh with goaltending coach Corey Hirsch in St. Louis, Miller told the Vancouver Province that he is coachable.
“I’m open to being coached but I’m a little bit more stubborn in that you’re going to have to really explain to me why it’s going to work for me,” Miller said. “I’m going to push back. If they are a good teacher, they’re going to push back and … we’re going to have a great relationship.”
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetDSI, the Canucks are currently 35/1 to win the 2015 Stanley Cup.
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!