Details emerge on potential J.T. Miller trade return for Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are working hard on a J.T. Miller trade. That much is clear after a weekend filled with trade rumours, including a reported deal that fell through at the last second.
It’s feeling more and more like Miller’s days in Vancouver are numbered. The club reportedly decided six weeks ago that the relationship between Miller and co-star Elias Pettersson wasn’t working and one or both had to be traded, per CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal.
“Six weeks ago, they decided that one of these two guys most likely is going to have to be traded to change the dynamic of the club, especially in that dressing room.”
Miller responded to the noise reaching a fever pitch this past weekend with an incredible performance on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers, proving how valuable he can be when on his game. Prior to that contest, Canucks management gathered at Rogers Arena and worked for hours on making a Miller trade, according to Dhaliwal, something that doesn’t usually happen midseason.
That boardroom meeting led to the Rangers trade, which fell apart at the very last moment. At one point, a deal looked so certain that the Canucks called Miller to tell him he wouldn’t be playing that night.
If the Canucks are going to be dealing a player of Miller’s calibre, the hope is he would bring back an incredible return. However, as details around negotiations leak out, it seems like Canucks fans should brace themselves for a less-than-spectacular return.
When news broke the Canucks were close to completing a Miller deal with the Rangers, speculation ran wild as to the return. Could the Pacific Division team be acquiring former first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere? Or perhaps rugged defenceman Braden Schneider? Now that the dust has settled, it seems like neither player was involved in the potential deal.
“I don’t think it was [Mika] Zibanejad… I think he came up a long time ago, and I just don’t think that’s something that interests Vancouver. I don’t think it was Schneider. I think the Canucks have asked about him several times before and can’t get him,” said Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts.
“And I could always be wrong, but I don’t think it’s Lafreniere either. I know his name has been thrown around, I don’t think in this case it was him.”
That means the Canucks were looking at the next tier of assets inside the Rangers organization, players with a bit less potential upside.
“I’ve had some suggestions to me; we’re talking about certainly not Lafreniere and Braden Schneider, but instead more in that [Filip] Chytil, Ryan Lindgren bucket in terms of a potential return,” said The Athletic’s Thomas Drance on Halford & Brough.
“I wasn’t able to confirm why the deal fell apart…it was suggested that maybe it was conditions on the first-round pick that might’ve been involved that caused it to fall apart.”
While they are solid players, neither Lindgren nor Chytil are exceptional pieces. The 25-year-old Chytil has one season with over 30 points, and Lindgren is a solid second-pair blueliner.
The Rangers are not the only team the Canucks are talking to. The Carolina Hurricanes are still active per Dhaliwal, and noise around the team is picking up. Jack Roslovic and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are two players the Canucks like and could target in a potential deal.
Roslovic has 17 goals and 25 points in 46 games this season and is on pace to crush through his career-high of 22 goals. Kotkaniemi is a former top-three pick with 19 points in 46 games this year.
The Canucks are getting closer and closer to dealing the 31-year-old who had 103 points last season. With every other NHL team knowing they’re trying to make this trade, a lack of leverage might result in a less-than-impressive return package on paper.