The Vancouver Canucks are looking to trade him due to a strained relationship with teammate. And that should give the New York Rangers pause before trading for the 31-year-old forward.
According to TSN’s NHL insider, Darren Dreger.
It’s no secret that Miller and Pettersson don’t get along, and it’s harming their on-ice performance while dragging down the rest of the Canucks. Two star players fighting is not conducive to a winning environment. As a result, the Canucks (22-17-10) have a slim chance of making the Western Conference playoffs.
But who is to blame for this ill blood? Miller has the more abrasive personality, which causes concern.
“Don’t assume that teams aren’t doing their homework here, making sure they understand what’s going on in Vancouver. Why has this not worked for J.T.? “How much of this is his responsibility?” Dreger asked on the Sekeres and Price podcast.
Miller took a personal leave of absence early in the season. Rick Tocchet, the Canucks coach, has occasionally benched him during games. And the 103-point scorer from last season has 34 points (9 goals, 25 assists) in 39 games this season.
The Rangers’ first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2011 draft remained tight-lipped about any difficulties with Pettersson, as is typical of him.
But Canucks president Jim Rutherford presented a clear picture of the strained relationship on Tuesday.
“Everyone worked on it, including the parties involved. However, it is only temporarily resolved before reoccurring. So it appears that there isn’t a solid solution to keep this group together,” Rutherford told The Globe and Mail.
When questioned if he was referring to Miller and Pettersson, he said, “Yes, yup.”
The Rangers have been working on re-acquiring Miller for several months. According to reports, a Miller-Mika Zibanejad trade fell through in November. Another potential deal between Miller and New York was near on Jan. 18, but did not go through.
“I’m not 100 percent convinced that there was a deal there to be made,” Dreger told the audience. “How close is close?”
Dreger believes the Rangers are still interested in Miller and adds that the Columbus Blue Jackets are “kicking the tires” on a potential trade. He also stated that the Buffalo Sabres will “stay in it” until they are informed that they have been eliminated from play. Do not rule out the Colorado Avalanche, who recently dealt talented winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes.
However, Dreger stated that he has learned from a source that one team has dropped out of the Miller race.
“I had a very excellent Dreger stated, “A Dallas source has informed me that the Stars are not involved.” “And it happened a day ago. So that takes a significant player (team) out of the game (for Miller).
Rangers remain in mix for possible J.T. Miller trade
Pettersson’s name is also often circulated in the trade rumor mill. Especially given reports that the Hurricanes were in talks with the Canucks about trading for Pettersson before completing the Rantanen deal.
Pettersson earns $11.6 million annually from 2031-32. That is significantly more than Miller’s average of $8 million each year from 2029 to 2030. Pettersson is 5 years younger than Miller.
Dreger believes the Canucks could move both of their premier centers. Rutherford went one step further on Tuesday, mentioning captain Quinn Hughes.
“If we were going to completely start over, that means he goes,” Rutherford said of Hughes, who has 56 points this season, tied with Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar. “And we’d like to figure out a way that he’s here forever.”
Simply put, things are chaotic in Vancouver, despite the fact that the Canucks won for the second time in a row on Monday night, 5-2 in St. Louis.
However, a fix may be on the way shortly. According to reports, the Canucks intend to make at least one deal before the Four Nations clash in February. The NHL’s trading deadline is March 7.
As Dreger mentioned, Rutherford “has a reputation for getting things done early.”