J.T. Miller expected to remain with Canucks past trade deadline: report
J.T. Miller looks like he’ll be staying with the Vancouver Canucks after all.
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek spoke on Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast about the status of the 29-year-old American winger, who has been a hot topic of trade discussion over the last few months.
“I don’t get the sense [the Canucks] have any inclination to trade J.T. Miller,” Marek said. “The two names we hear most, of course, are Conor Garland and Brock Boeser.”
The NHL trade deadline is set for Monday at 12 pm PT/3 pm ET.
Miller has 24 goals and 49 assists for a career-high 73 points in 61 games this season. With a cap hit of $5.25 million for the remainder of this season and next, Miller is set up for a largeĀ payday on his next contract, whether that’s with Vancouver or elsewhere.
On one hand, any Miller trade would certainly net a large haul, but it appears that, at the moment, Vancouver is looking to retain their leading scorer in the midst of a playoff push. Of course, a Miller trade could always materialize in the next 24 hours, with the team also having the option to revisit the market for him this offseason.
For now, they’ve got the rights to his contract until July 2023.
The Canucks sit five points out of the final wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference, with captain Bo Horvat admitting Saturday the season was “slipping away” from the team.
Miller is in his third season with the Canucks, having been acquired at the 2019 draft for Marek Mazanec, as well as a first and third-round pick.