J.T. Miller’s days as a member of the Vancouver Canucks could be numbered.
With the Canucks underperforming and rampant rumors about locker room dysfunction, Miller and Elias Pettersson’s names have both been swirling in the rumor mill over the last several weeks. The latest trade chatter has focused on Miller and reached a fever pitch.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Canucks were so close to completing a Miller trade over the weekend that they considered sitting him out for Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. That reported trade with the New York Rangers fell through and Miller ended up playing, but it’s looking increasingly likely that Vancouver’s star American center could be on the move before the March 7 trade deadline.
Let’s take a closer look at what exactly Miller brings to the table, what the Canucks could be looking for in return and some potential landing spots for him.
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What Miller brings to the lineup
Miller has been an excellent player for the Canucks through six seasons, but he’s alternated between two different versions of himself.
The apex version of Miller is an elite, superstar talent. It’s what the Canucks got from Miller during his 103-point campaign last year, his 99-point season in 2021-22 and his 86-point pace in 2019-20.
This version of Miller is a rare, unique beast. He’ll operate with the vision and set-up ability of an elite playmaker, the brute physicality of a throwback power forward and a competitive, high-motor, two-way style you can trust to defend against top lines. Miller is a tantalizing blend of skill and toughness, the type of player that can drag a team into the fight. Just last season, he crossed the 100-point mark while earning Selke Trophy votes for his two-way work matching up against the opposition’s best on a nightly basis. Miller’s name was chanted in Rogers Arena practically every game last season.
Miller has also had three “down” seasons in Vancouver, however. This version of Miller is still a very productive player, clicking at closer to a 70-to-80-point pace, but looks more like an empty-calorie scorer than an all-around beast. This is when Miller can run into troubles with turnovers and lackadaisical defensive breakdowns. He won’t drive play with the same level of authority. His motor and urgency to move his feet without the puck can wane.
Miller is currently in the middle of one of these “down” seasons. He’s scored 31 points in 35 games and his two-way play has been inconsistent — he’ll have strong showings like Saturday against the Oilers where he’s a defensive workhorse against Connor McDavid — but on other nights, his defensive miscues will end up in the back of the Canucks’ net.
It’s worth noting Miller appears to have been playing banged up this season. He missed all but one of Vancouver’s preseason games with an undisclosed injury. He’s taken a couple of other hard knocks throughout the season, too.
What kind of locker room fit would Miller be?
Many will wonder if Miller will be a good locker room/off-ice fit on other teams given all the speculation around a potential rift with Pettersson.
Having covered Miller closely for six seasons, which includes extensive reporting/writing on the double-edged sword of his fiery, old-school leadership style, the best way to sum up his off-ice impact is he’s an amplifier of the team’s current emotional state.
When the club is winning, Miller’s swagger, passionate energy and off-ice lightheartedness (he’s a huge chirper) can take a team to the next level. He makes the good vibes even better and can be a fun, popular teammate.
When the club is losing, Miller can become frustrated, charged up and on edge. He’s blunt and unafraid to speak his mind, which has ruffled feathers in Vancouver.
Miller’s not a “bad guy” — Vancouver’s former head coaches loved having him as a player and leader — but his emotions amplify the feeling of whatever a team is going through at a given moment, whether it’s positive or negative.
What the Canucks could be looking for
Canucks fans should brace themselves for a less-than-stellar return if Miller is dealt. GM Patrik Allvin is negotiating from a position of weakness for several reasons:
• Miller has major control of the situation with a full no-movement clause. A decade ago, Vancouver fans saw another high-profile top-six center, Ryan Kesler, go for pennies on the dollar in at least some part because of the player’s leverage and control over the destination.
• Miller’s contract is a long-term risk. He turns 32 in less than two months and has another five seasons left after this one at an $8 million cap hit. That cap hit is reasonable for what he is now — and was a bargain last season when he was lighting it up — but it may not age well, even in a rising salary-cap climate.
• Miller’s production and all-around performance are down this season.
• The Canucks are likely exploring a Miller deal this seriously because they realize their core needs a major shakeup on and off the ice. Making a trade from that position, during the middle of the season when teams are less flexible to add high-salaried players, isn’t the ideal scenario to drum up a bidding war.
Vancouver isn’t rebuilding, so we’d expect a package with a mix of young NHLers/prospects/picks to be most appealing rather than a haul solely centered around draft picks and prospects.
Teams that can offer center talent coming back may also have an advantage because Miller’s potential departure would create a big hole down the middle for Vancouver. The Canucks also don’t have many intriguing center prospects outside of Aatu Räty, who projects closer to a future bottom-six player.
It’s difficult to throw out a mock trade package/proposal for a “fair” return on a Miller trade. The situation is complex and there is a lack of trade comparables for Miller based on age, performance and contractual factors.
Our best guess of Miller’s trade value right now might be somewhere in the neighborhood of a first-round pick, a middle-of-the-lineup NHL forward or defenseman on a significant salary (to make the cap math work) and a young player/prospect. Funny enough, that’s similar to the return the Canucks got for Kesler back in the day: a first-round pick, Nick Bonino (middle-six center) and Luca Sbisa (young NHLer with potential).
Teams that could/should be interested
New York Rangers
The Rangers looked to make some core changes after a downward spiral through much of November and December. One way to do that? Acquire Miller.
The Rangers’ interest in a Miller reunion has been well-documented over the last few weeks. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reported on talks of a Miller for Mika Zibanejad trade. But talks broke down when the Rangers would not include Braden Schneider in the return.
That wasn’t the end of the Miller to New York saga. There was reportedly another deal in the works last weekend, according to The Athletic’s Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal. This deal had a different look, with Filip Chytil, Ryan Lindgren and some future assets as the return.
The Rangers and Canucks obviously haven’t found a perfect match for both sides just yet, but the more recent deal may be a more plausible framework. A Zibanejad trade is more likely an offseason move, which doesn’t seem to agree with a Canucks team willing to move Miller sooner than later. Trading for Miller would still likely end Zibanejad’s time in New York, just a bit more indirectly.
Chytil is a more feasible trade piece here, he just carries a lot of injury risk. Lindgren, on the other hand, could address another area of need on the back end — if his game rebounds outside of Peter Laviolette’s taxing system.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have had a gaping hole at the second-line center position ever since Vincent Trocheck walked in free agency.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been the club’s de facto 2C for many stretches since the 2022-23 campaign but he’s failed to seize the opportunity. He scored just 27 points in 79 games last season. In the playoffs, he mustered just one point in 11 games and averaged just 11 minutes per game. He’s been better this season but still isn’t on pace to crack 35 points, which isn’t up to par with contenders’ No. 2 centers.
Miller would represent a monumental upgrade. The Canes can afford to take a calculated risk on Miller’s contract because their long-term cap situation is strong. Their top players are locked up on team-friendly deals and a couple of big-money veterans are coming off the books this summer (Dmitry Orlov and Brent Burns’ expirations will free up around $13 million and top prospect Alexander Nikishin could be immediately ready to log top-four minutes next season).
Carolina’s tight against the cap this season, however, meaning the Canucks would likely have to take significant salary back. That’s where speculation around names like Kotkaniemi, who has another five years left at a $4.82 million AAV, and Jack Roslovic — two players the Canucks have reportedly had interest in during the past — has begun. It would be an underwhelming foundation for a trade from the Canucks’ perspective to say the least. But if they’re substantially higher on Kotkaniemi than the rest of the industry, perhaps a deal can be swung.
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New Jersey Devils
The Devils’ two-way game has taken a major hit since returning from the Christmas break. The team’s defense has struggled, and their offense has outright dried up.
One way to fix that? Upgrade the roster. The Devils will more than likely be on the market for two things in the weeks leading up to the deadline: a top-six winger upgrade and another top-nine center. Miller checks off both of those boxes.
In New Jersey, Miller would likely be initially deployed as a winger on Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes’ wing. But if either top-six center gets injured, he could easily shift to center. He could also move back to the middle if the team just needs a stronger top-nine approach in the playoffs.
The Devils have a few play drivers up front in Hischier, Hughes and Jesper Bratt. And that may be enough to make up for any question marks about the substance in Miller’s game behind his highest-scoring seasons.
Simon Nemec could be a part of the return since the Devils’ blue line is too crowded right now, leaving him in the AHL. Dawson Mercer could bring back the center the Canucks are looking for — if the team thinks he can drive play in a 2C capacity again. The risk there is that Mercer can’t get back to his 2022-23 heights as a reliable scoring chance generator and goal scorer.
If center depth isn’t a priority, maybe someone like Ondrej Palat goes the other way to create cap space the Devils need to make a Miller trade happen.
Dallas Stars
The Stars’ second line of Tyler Seguin, Mason Marchment and Matt Duchene was electric to open the season. And that helped make up for some underwhelming play from their top line. But two-thirds of that second line is sidelined with injury.
Marchment should be back in the next few weeks, but Seguin will be out for the next four to six months. Even after Seguin eventually returns, it will likely take him some time to get back up to speed after hip surgery. So the Stars could use some legitimate reinforcements. Miller would punch up Dallas’ top six and bring lineup versatility as someone who can shift between center and wing as needed.
Once the Stars put Seguin’s $9.85 million cap hit on LTIR, Dallas should have more cap flexibility. Jamie Benn’s 9.5 million hit is coming off the books at the end of this year, along with a few other pending free-agent forwards, which could help Dallas absorb the rest of Miller’s contract.
The big question is cost. Would Dallas be willing to part with an up-and-coming player like Mavrik Bourque? Management could be hesitant since their prospect pool is thinner than in years past. Plus, Bourque’s entry-level salary helps balance the books around some of their bigger contracts. Then again, the Stars have the defensive structure and young core to offset some of Miller’s flaws, which could make this a bet worth taking.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins aren’t good enough to contend right now. But with three franchise stars in David Pastrnak, Jeremy Swayman and Charlie McAvoy signed to long-term contracts, they aren’t going to rebuild either.
Boston’s at a crossroads right now. The prudent path could be for the organization to move toward a retool. If GM Don Sweeney is chasing an immediate turnaround, though, Miller represents a unique opportunity to acquire a first-line center at a cost that won’t break the bank.
This would have to be close to a dollar-in, dollar-out deal to make the cap math work for Boston. With that in mind, would Pavel Zacha or Brandon Carlo (given the Canucks’ right-side defense woes) be appealing pieces for the Canucks? What about promising 20-year-old center Matthew Poitras? How willing would Boston be to dangle its first-round pick this year, which could land in the teens rather than the late 20s?
A trade obviously wouldn’t involve all of those pieces, but those are some of the assets we wonder about. In the end, it’s also possible making another long-term commitment to a player on the wrong side of 30 could scare the Bruins off regardless of how badly they could use a 1C.
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Utah Hockey Club
One of these teams is not like the other. Unlike the five aforementioned teams, Utah is not a projected contender or even a playoff team. It has the lowest playoff odds of the bunch at just 14 percent as of Monday.
Ownership has shown a willingness to spend to change that. Just take their first offseason when they acquired Mikhail Sergachev and the seven years remaining on his contract, carrying a $8.5 million cap hit. The John Marino trade only reinforced that.
So when a player of Miller’s caliber is available on the trade market — and at a discount — Utah might take the leap, regardless of his contract. And even if acquiring him isn’t enough to push Utah into the playoffs this year, it helps better position the team for next season.
Adding Miller would address Utah’s biggest need: strength down the middle. Logan Cooley is progressing, but it would help to have another top-flight center in the top six. That could knock Barrett Hayton into a more fitting 3C role (or even make him expendable) and boost the team’s overall forward strength.
Utah has NHL-caliber defensemen and up-and-coming forwards that could interest Vancouver. And the team has a number of future assets at its disposal to sweeten a return. The real wrinkle is whether Miller would be willing to waive his no-movement clause for Utah when it is further removed from the playoff picture — that could be what makes or breaks the club as a legitimate option.
(Photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
