Pettersson is hot and Miller is not as ex-Vancouver Canucks teammates now trend in opposite directions
Former Vancouver Canucks teammates Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller will forever be linked.
The one-time co-stars helped the Canucks reach some incredible highs, such as making Game 7 of the second round last year, but ultimately couldn’t help the team fully reach its potential. The feud between the two became so bad that one had to be traded, so the Canucks shipped Miller to the New York Rangers.
The trade ended what was a years-long tumultuous relationship between the two players.
The Canucks hoped trading Miller would help unlock another level in Pettersson’s game as he struggled through a rough season. In the first few weeks following the deal, that was not the case, as Pettersson’s performance reached a new low. However, things have now turned, and the 26-year-old has shown a ton of progress this month.
Pettersson is on a five-game point streak and has four goals and eight points in his last seven contests. He’s looking more like the player the Canucks signed to a $92.8 million contract.Ā
The Swedish star’s offensive outburst has come at the perfect time for a Canucks team trying to make the playoffs. He was a key cog in last night’s 6-2 win over the NHL-best Winnipeg Jets, and they’ll need more big performances like that down the stretch to make the postseason.
Miller’s game has taken the complete opposite trajectory. While he got off to a strong start with his new team, he’s since fallen off a cliff. The 32-year-old has zero goals in his last eight games and just four assists during that time.
The public outbursts of frustration that Canucks fans came to expect from Miller have also started with the Rangers.
J.T. Miller seems happy. #NYR pic.twitter.com/pkQYDVSMA4
— Snark Messier (@NYRFanatic) March 9, 2025
Miller and the Rangers have some work to do to make the postseason, sitting two points below the playoff bar with two more games played.
This trade was never going to be graded on what happened in the weeks or months following. While Miller started off hot, his play has fallen off and Pettersson has taken the opposite trajectory. The pieces the Canucks got in return, including Filip Chytil and Victor Mancini, have also impressed, making the deal look quite solid, especially considering their lack of leverage in the situation.