Offseason Update for the Millers...

Offseason update for the Georgetown Millers

With the free-agency re-signing deadline about 3 weeks away the Georgetown Millers have yet to announce who is staying and who is leaving. At press time the Millers had the following UFAs that are playing in the NHL this season:

Jeff Carter
Tyler Bozak
Mike Fisher
Brian Gionta
Mike Green
Anton Khudobin
Henrik Zetterberg

Despite leading the Millers in scoring this past season and being named the team’s MVP, it’s expected the Millers will let Carter walk and attempt to re-sign him at a lesser salary once the UFA process begins due to his injury issues this NHL season. Green’s spot on the blue line has already been replaced by Jeff Petry, and Bozak is not seen as an answer to the team’s 2nd line C quandry nor would he be brought back for the 3rd line C role which is expected to be filled by Radek Faksa. Fisher and Gionta have barely played this NHL season.

That leaves Zetterberg and Khudobin as the most likely re-sign possibilities. Khudobin could share G duties with James Reimer, although neither has played to the level of a starter this NHL season. Zetterberg would seem to fit the 2nd line C spot, hopefully keeping it warm until a younger replacement is drafted, promoted or acquired.

The Millers have 5 pending RFAs, including the newly acquired Tobias Rieder.

Ben Chariot
Nick Cousins
Tobias Rieder
Brayden Schenn
Teuvo Teravainen

Schenn and Teravainen are no-brainers and expected to be extended for 3 years. Rieder is also expected to be extended, probably for 2 years. Chiarot’s odds of receiving a new contract were greatly enhanced when Michael Kempny was dealt to Dayton, but Chiarot should only expect a one year deal. Cousins is a borderline call and his fate really depends on if the Millers can move out some vets currently projected to play on the 4th line.

If the 2018-19 season began tomorrow, and assuming Zetterberg is their UFA re-sign and all 5 RFAs come back, the Millers would line-up thusly:

Forwards:
Schenn-Hoffman-Reilly Smith
Zetterberg-Teravainen-Boeser
Faksa-Nash-Pitlick
Zack Smith-Cogliano-Reider
extra Forwards - Cousins, Wilson, Hannikainen
(Brian Flynn is signed for 2 more years but has not seen any NHL time this year and is expected to eventually be released.)

Defense:
Josi-Orlov
Fowler-Pesce
Dillon-Petry
extra D - Chiarot, Sproul

Goaltenders:
Reimer
A netminder yet to be acquired
Budaj

The Millers have traditionally used UFA signings for depth purposes, preferring to not go above $1 million on contracts. It’s looking likely that the team will have to spend much more than that to cover their hole at G and they’ll look to use their typical budget signing to acquire a 4th line C.