J.T. Miller is thriving after being traded away from rocky Vancouver Canucks situation
When the Vancouver Canucks traded away J.T. Miller, they knew they were letting go of one of their best players.
Since arriving in Vancouver, Miller had been an elite point producer with stretches of excellent two-way play. This season didn’t go as smoothly as his feud with Elias Pettersson boiled over. Miller was also clearly banged up starting from opening night and took a significant leave of absence.
The 31-year-old had nine goals and 35 points in 40 games before the trade. Those are still respectable numbers but below his usual standard. Since being dealt to the New York Rangers, Miller has found his game again and is putting up very strong numbers.
The two-way centre has five goals and nine points in eight games with the Rangers. That’s more than half the goal total he recorded with the Canucks this year in fewer than a quarter of the games played. Four of his five goals have come at even-strength.
Miller ranks first in goals and second in points on the Rangers since joining the club. The Metropolitan Division team was 5-3 during that timeframe and now sits just two points outside the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
His point totals aren’t empty calorie stats. Since arriving on his new team, Miller ranks first among forwards in Corsi, second in expected goals share, and first among forwards in on-ice goals for. The Rangers are putting up strong five-on-five results with him on the ice.
Meanwhile, the Canucks have been struggling to score since Miller left, although they weren’t exactly lighting it up when he was around. The Canucks rank third last in goals per game since the deal went down.
More concerningly, Miller’s departure hasn’t done anything for Pettersson’s game. There was some hope that he’d be able to pick things up after Miller was traded, but that has not been the case. Unlocking the Swedish star remains a struggle for the Canucks.
Dealing Miller over Pettersson was never about the short-term. It was always a decision made because of Pettersson’s potential and Miller’s older age. However, that doesn’t make it easier to see Miller thrive with his new club while Pettersson struggles to find his game.