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Canucks: J.T. Miller’s 3 biggest accomplishments of 2019-20

By Brayden Ursel |
TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 29: J.T. Miller #9 of the Vancouver Canucks skates up ice with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 29, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canucks 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 29: J.T. Miller #9 of the Vancouver Canucks skates up ice with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 29, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canucks 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
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Vancouver Canucks’ J.T. Miller proved to the NHL that he’s the perfect two-way player. Here are three accomplishments this year that raised his game to the next level.

Ever since the close of the Vancouver Canucks’ 2018-19 season, general manager Jim Benning knew he needed to bulk up the team’s top-six with a nice mixture of size, speed, defensive skill and scoring ability. Look no further than J.T. Miller. The 27-year-old American winger has all the right tools to fit the bill and he proved that this year in his first season as a Canucks player.

Fresh off a 47-point season playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning, the rights to Miller was acquired during the offseason via trade. Targetted by Benning to be immediately injected into the top-six, Miller would be placed alongside the team’s most serious talent in an effort to bring up his points per game as well as the overall point production of players around him.

His very presence in the lineup didn’t go unnoticed. Miller racked up big points early and found chemistry with whoever he was slotted to play with. Quickly he became a leader in the locker room and a better first-man on the ice. His 200-foot game only grew as the season wore on and by the time COVID-19 paused the sports world, Miller was on top of the Canucks’ scoring race and well on his way to an 80+ point campaign.

His first of four seasons in Vancouver was a complete success. He gelled well with star forward Elias Pettersson, he showed Jake Virtanen how to be a better power forward, and he played a key role in special teams having a spot on the roster for both the first unit power play and at times the penalty kill as well. Let’s dive into Miller’s three biggest accomplishments this season.

J.T. Miller #9 of the Vancouver Canucks (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
J.T. Miller #9 of the Vancouver Canucks (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

Miller has the best season of his career

Miller came to Vancouver like a man on a mission. The former centerman turned left-winger had a career-high of 56 points coming into this season. Three seasons removed from his 2016-17 best, a lot of people (including MIller himself) were curious to see what the guy could really do. Living in the shadows of Steven Stamkos while playing in Tampa, Miller finally got his opportunity to be a top-line fixture in Vancouver.

Initially, he was thought to be the perfect winger for the captain. The chemistry was good, but only until Miller got the chance to play with Pettersson and Brock Boeser. Forget the duo of Miller with Bo Horvat! His skills with the team’s dynamic duo were simply off the charts.

Miller was the missing piece to the now called, “Lotto-line” which dominated the entire league for the vast majority of the 2019-20 season. This is where he really got rolling in terms of production. The puck-possession numbers were constantly above 60 and this trio of talent quickly became one of the best top lines across the continent.

Add Miller to the top power play unit and he finishes the shortened season with 72 points (27 goals, 45 assists) in 69 regular-season games. That’s 16 more points than his previous best in 13 fewer games played! Incredible to think that the guy known for bringing a team 45-50 points was capable of leading an entire team in points, goals and power play points.

Jake Virtanen #18 of the Vancouver Canucks  (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Jake Virtanen #18 of the Vancouver Canucks  (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

Miller teaches Virtanen how to be a true power forward

Coming into his 6th season with Vancouver, Virtanen was on the hot seat definitely feeling the pressure to become the power forward many people were expecting him to become. Being pretty much just an older version of Virtanen, Micheal Ferland was thought to be the guy to show him the ropes. As it turned out, Ferland spent most of the season on the sidelines leaving Miller a chance to slide in and help mentor Virtanen.

Although Miller is more of an experienced player with much more finesse to his finish, Virtanen possesses those same attributes, he just needed some help unlocking his skill set.

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Slowly, Virtanen shaped his craft game after game. Eventually, an opportunity arose for Shotgun Jake to ride the top line in place of Boeser. This is where Miller’s guidance hit its peak with the 23-year-old. Virtanen began to look like the perfect fit on line one and he was bringing elements of his game that he never knew he had.

Quickly the “MVP line” was gaining momentum all while Virtanen was learning how to play physical, chase after the puck, make plays and score timely goals. You could see it in his game, and Miller was often spotted patting Jake on the back or whispering something in his ear.

With the help of Miller, Virtanen was able to have his best season to date. The development of Virtanen’s game made leaps this season, but a lot of his success had to do with the tough love from Miller himself.

At the end of the day, Miller seems to make everyone around him better. He boosted the game Horvat, Pettersson and Boeser. But more importantly, he helped Virtanen break out as a power forward. All-in-all, Miller is a team player and a guy who makes everyone around him play better hockey. Big accomplishment for Miller on this one!

Vancouver Canucks Goalie Thatcher Demko (35) and team (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Vancouver Canucks Goalie Thatcher Demko (35) and team (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Miller brought experience to special teams

Last season the Canucks special teams units were well below average. The 2018-19 power play finished the year 22nd in the NHL with a lousy 17.1% conversion rate. The penalty kill was a  fraction better finishing in the 11th spot with an 81.1% success rate.

The addition of Miller (and Quinn Hughes) to the power play did absolute wonders for the Canucks this season. As a matter of fact, if it weren’t for Miller’s team-leading 25 man-advantage tallies, Vancouver probably finishes their 50th season well below the playoff bar.

Luckily, Miller helped reshape and redefine the team’s PP1. From the basement in the standings last season, all the way to top-five across the league. Finishing the season with a 24.1% scoring rate, Miller was solid on the wall and his behind the back feed to Hughes often created a secondary assist once Pettersson would laser home the drawn up one-timer. That’s a seven percent jump shooting the Canucks from 22nd to 4th in a single season.

His net-front presence was always there and with him often standing next to Bo, it created a nice one-two punch of big bodies out front fighting for open ice and battling over who gets the next garbage goal. If his big body wasn’t parked in front, he was often spotted with the puck using his body as a shield as he looked for the open man.

Final thoughts…

Next. Canucks: 3 big disappointments this season. dark

Miller is a homerun player with all the right tools fit for a long playoff run. He’s the perfect player for a coach and he’s the guy you want on your team because otherwise, he’s an absolute pain to play against. His first season in Vancouver exceeded expectations and he accomplished some pretty big things in a very short amount of time. Let’s look forward to having him back soon!

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