Jets signing veteran defenseman to two-year deal

Defenseman Colin Miller is returning to the Jets on a two-year, $3M contract, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. That’s good for a $1.5M AAV and cap hit.

The 31-year-old extends his stay in Winnipeg after arriving at the trade deadline when he was picked up from the Devils in exchange for a fourth-round pick. The nine-year veteran ended the season as the Jets’ seventh defender, though, only playing in five regular-season games down the stretch and just one of their five playoff games in their first-round loss to the Avalanche.

A multiyear deal and seven-figure cap hit both suggest the Jets envision Miller playing a slightly larger role than that in 2024-25. The departure of Brenden Dillon for the Devils and the buyout of Nate Schmidt has thinned out their defensive depth, meaning Miller more than likely will start the season in a third-pairing role on the right side behind Dylan DeMelo and Neal Pionk. What’s less clear is who his partner will be. For now, Ville Heinola, Dylan Samberg and Logan Stanley are expected to challenge for the second and third-pairing slots on the left side behind star Josh Morrissey.

That said, you could do worse than Miller as a third-pairing anchor. He’s a decent puck-mover and has overall had positive possession impacts at even strength over his 512-game career. Last season was a difficult one for him offensively, though, recording just nine points in 41 games split between New Jersey and Winnipeg. He’ll look to rebound to the 15-20 point form we’ve come to expect from him in recent years this season.