We say this every time a big-time player with significant term like Vancouver Canucks centre J.T. Miller finds himself in winter trade rumours; this would be a much easier deal to do in the summer.
And when you consider that, not only would a team need to make Miller’s $8-million cap hit — with three more seasons to go after this one — work on the books, but Miller himself must sign off on any transaction thanks to a no-move clause, it starts to feel like a longshot that the 31-year-old will spend the next few months anywhere but British Columbia.
And yet…
When Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is coming on Hockey Night in Canada and saying the Canucks were so close to a deal involving Miller the player was nearly held out of a game on Saturday night, the rumblings are starting to rattle windows.
And, of course, if the Canucks wanted to quash all notion they’re looking to move Miller, general manager Patrik Allvin could have done so at his mid-season press conference on Monday.
This sure feels like more of a when than if.
And if that when is now, where could Miller land?
Interest won’t be the problem. This is, at his best, a 200-foot centre/winger whose 1.09 points-per-game (entering Wednesday night’s action) since the start of his Canucks tenure in 2019-20 represents the exact same production as Matthew Tkachuk. Only a dozen players in the league have a higher PPG during that time.
But it all comes back to the six-foot-one, 218-pound Miller’s ability to nix any trade he doesn’t desire. Nothing, however, can stop us from massaging our temples and contemplating which teams might be a great fit for him. Other Canadian teams were not considered for this exercise as there’s a belief Miller prefers to play in the U.S., most likely on the eastern side of the country.
There’s one landing spot Miller has been linked to all along. But a deal hasn’t happened yet, so this list of potential suitors for a difference-making player is still more than a single team long.
Let’s examine some possibilities.
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They drafted him in 2011, they’ve apparently come close to trading for him already this year and they’re getting it back on the rails after a miserable 4-15-0 stretch to close out 2024. The Rangers aren’t just trying to climb back into the playoffs; they’re still hoping to do damage once there.
New York’s highest-paid forwards all basically have the same trade protection as Miller does, so — in keeping with the greater theme, here — nothing about this would be easy.
That said, the Rangers have some interesting, relatively young blueline pieces like Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller. Both of those players need new contracts this summer and could be approaching an inflection point with the organization.
There’s also 25-year-old centre Filip Chytil and intriguing prospects like Brennan Othmann — already a second-year pro — and Gabe Perreault, who’s likely to turn pro after his sophomore year at Boston College this season.
Earlier this week, Sportsnet’s in-house scout, Jason Bukala, suggested Carolina could land Miller for a package built around 26-year-old winger Martin Necas.
If not Necas, would 22-year-old winger Seth Jarvis or 24-year-old winger Andrei Svechnikov generate any heat? None of those players have trade protection right now, according to Puckpedia.
Of all the teams potentially in the hunt for Miller, it feels like he has the potential to help Carolina the most. With Sebastian Aho as a No. 1 and Jordan Staal centring a third trio, Miller could slot in beautifully as a 2C on this team that needs a jolt to get over the playoff hump.
The further down this list we go, the less likely it is the teams we’re talking about land Miller. New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald said publicly last week that he had not spoken to Allvin about Miller and The Fourth Period reported over the weekend the Devils had not received permission to speak with Miller and his representation.
Of course, that can all change with a phone call.
Miller could definitely bring some much-needed heft to a top-six crew that skews skill over bite. Maybe he will become a full-time winger in New Jersey, with Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes up the middle.
The Devils do have a golden trade chip in 20-year-old, right-shot defenceman Simon Nemec. Add 23-year-old Dawson Mercer and his $4-million cap hit to the mix and maybe you’re getting somewhere.
The Stars have been linked more to defencemen than guys who can help up front, but Miller is the type of built-for-the-playoffs forward that might make GM Jim Nill reconsider his priorities. Dallas, of course, has some salary flexibility because Tyler Seguin is expected to be on long-term injured reserve until the end of the season. The Stars will also have a little more flexibility moving forward because 35-year-old captain Jamie Benn isn’t going to be counting $9.5 million against the cap next fall.
A list like this should always contain a wild card. Miller grew up on the Ohio/Pennsylvania border a huge Penguins fan. If now isn’t the right time to join the re-tooling Pens, maybe the surging Jackets are a perfect compromise?
Adam Fantilli is pegged for the 1C slot long-term, but there’s certainly room for Miller within the top six of this surprisingly competitive squad. Columbus also just happens to have a quality blue liner listed on many trade boards in the form of Ivan Provorov. Perhaps Vancouver, which needs to upgrade its defence corps, is interested in him as a starting point.
Regardless of which team and specific players we’re talking about, there’s a lot of guesswork at this point. The notion that Miller could be traded sooner rather than later, though, feels as though it’s only picking up steam.
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