Miller has more points than Pettersson has shots since Vancouver Canucks traded him
When Vancouver Canucks president Jim Rutherford dropped his bombshell interview back in late January, it started a countdown for either J.T. Miller or Elias Pettersson to be traded.
Rutherford confirmed the long-rumoured feud between the two players, and just a few days later, Miller was dealt to the New York Rangers. The Canucks committed to Pettersson as their star of the future.
Since the trade, Miller and Petterson trended in completely opposite directions.
There was hope that Miller’s departure would help Pettersson’s game, that he’d be free to flourish without the pressure of this drama following him. In press appearances shortly after the deal, Pettersson seemed to welcome the added pressure of being the sole star centre, another promising sign that had many fans optimistic.
Instead, Pettersson has taken yet another step backwards in his game. He has zero goals and just three assists in 10 games since the deal went down. He’s managed just eight total shots during that time, far below an acceptable standard. The continued poor play has kept Pettersson’s name in the rumour mill.
On the other hand, Miller’s arrival has brought new life to the Rangers. He has six goals and 12 points in 10 games with his new team. He’s helped new linemate Mika Zibanejad, who was struggling earlier in the season, find his game. Zibanejad has 15 points since Miller’s arrival, tied for second in the NHL during that time.
The Rangers are making a run for the playoffs and now sit just two points outside the second Wild Card spot, partially because of Miller’s play. He’s made them a better team and looks to be exactly what they needed.
Dealing Miller instead of Pettersson was always a move made with the long-term future of the club in mind. No conclusions can be drawn from the small sample size thus far, but the early returns have been far from ideal.
The pieces the Canucks got back in the Miller trade have also shown some promise. They flipped the first-round pick along with some players for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor, who have impressed. Filip Chytil has also demonstrated strong flashes, leading all Canucks in points since the trade.
This blockbuster trade was never going to be judged on the first few weeks following, but things have not worked out the way the Canucks would have wanted so far.