Welcome Matt: Canucks shouldn't wait to sell high on a J.T. Miller trade

Jan 29 2022, 1:10 am

The Welcome Matt can be heard weekdays on Sekeres and Price. Stream the live show at SekeresAndPrice.com Monday to Friday, or download the latest podcast.


John Shannon texted me last night in the midst of J.T. Miller’s hat trick, saying the Vancouver Canucks would be nuts to trade him.

And I get it. He’s winning people over with every shift.

A two-way, all-situations, two-position horse on a great contract. What’s not to love?

If you could just re-sign Miller on the spot, then this would be a lot simpler.

But the Canucks can’t. The problem is they can’t even start talking contract extension with him until this summer.

Not knowing what it will cost to re-sign him, especially in a post-COVID world, where the salary cap will presumably go up and he’ll be within rights to ask for more, is a dangerous game for Jim Rutherford and the Canucks.

Heck, it’s a dangerous game anyways given many would argue the player is having a career year at age 28-29, and would need to maintain this pace through next season to merit what the Canucks would have to give him to eschew free agency.

But even more than that, playing that waiting game means missing out on selling high. An acquiring team would get him for only one postseason, not two.

That’s huge.

Because Miller, on top of all of his other attributes, is on an excellent contract, earning $5.25 million this year and next.

What it means is that most contenders can afford him. They don’t have to get creative on the salary cap, like trades for most players of this stature.

There’s a world where 15 or more teams are in on Miller, and that puts Rutherford in the catbird’s seat.

Look, if the Canucks had a flush prospect pipeline, if they were loaded with draft picks, or had a deeper NHL team with help coming from the AHL, then I’d be all for keeping Miller and playing this out.

But the conditions are too ripe for a trade, and a deal could set the Canucks up for years.

It’s no-brainer, even if it’ll break hearts.

Matthew SekeresMatthew Sekeres

+ Offside
+ Hockey
+ Canucks
ADVERTISEMENT