Week-to-week or day-to-day? J.T. Miller back with Canucks already
What a difference three days makes. On Monday the Vancouver Canucks announced that J.T. Miller would be out “week to week” with a lower body injury. Today, he’s already back on the ice and set to play tonight against the Minnesota Wild.
Canucks F J.T. Miller is out week to week with a lower body injury.
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 27, 2023
Back on the ice! đź’Ş
Miller is all set to play tonight versus Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/BLvheDGus9
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 2, 2023
To say the last week, let alone the last 12 months, has been a roller coaster for Miller and the Canucks would be an understatement. Vancouver signed the 29-year-old forward to a seven-year, $56 million contract extension in September, effectively forcing themselves to trade former team captain Bo Horvat.
As the Canucks season went on, Miller’s fiery personality rubbed some the wrong way, with him smashing his stick on Colin Delia’s goal in December.
Held out of the lineup, it looked like he could be heading to Pittsburgh ahead of the NHL trade deadline, with the reports saying the Canucks were linked on a deal with the Penguins.
On Wednesday Pittsburgh traded for Mikael Granlund, who makes less money and has less term remaining on his contract than Miller.
Granlund makes $5 million AAV for two more seasons, while a trade for Miller would have set the Penguins up to inherit his seven-year, $8 million AAV contract extension that kicks in next season.
Miller has missed just a single game for the Canucks this season, scoring 20 goals and 54 points through 59 appearances.
Now after weeks turned into mere days and a lower-body injury quickly recovered, Miller is back in the Canucks lineup and looks like he will be there until the final game of the season on April 13.
The NHL trade deadline is Friday at 12 pm PT.