J.T. Miller at centre gives the Canucks some serious depth
In the absence of Elias Pettersson, the Vancouver Canucks have shifted J.T. Miller to centre, springing the idea of potentially keeping him there, even when the 22-year-old Swede is 100 percent healthy and returns to the lineup.
The ‘Lotto Line’ — consisting of Pettersson, Miller, and Brock Boeser — has been one of the most dominant trios in the National Hockey League — when they’re on their A-game. Pettersson is the brains, Miller is the brawns, and Boeser is the beauty who also leads the team in scoring.
But nothing lasts forever and all good things must come to an end. And in the Canucks’ case, splitting up ‘649’ might be their best option right now and in the near future. Why? Because the Canucks are chasing down a playoff spot this season, and they’re trying to become a serious contender sooner rather than later.
Without making this move permanent, Vancouver won’t have the depth to live up to their own expectations. And if you look at Stanley Cup-winning teams through recent years, what do they all have in common? Depth at the centre position. The Canucks need to highly consider following suit, especially with capable wingers like Nils Hoglander and Vasili Podkolzin entering the fold.
How the lines could shake out
Starting at the top, Pettersson and Boeser were already a dynamic duo before Miller even joined the Canucks. They have proven good enough to be Vancouver’s leading scorers, and with a player like Hoglander successfully adapting to the NHL so quickly, he could be an exceptional fit on the left-wing. If Miller isn’t playing top-line minutes, Hoglander’s work ethic with and without the puck is the perfect replacement.
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Since acquiring Tanner Pearson from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the spring of 2019, he and Bo Horvat have played a ton of minutes together, and have been the Canucks’ go-to two-way shutdown duo. They regularly play tough minutes against the opposition’s best offensive weapons, and with Podkolzin being cut from the same cloth, he could be a reasonable option to round out the second line (when he becomes available).
Moving Miller to the third line gives the Canucks great depth, especially when you can put Jake Virtanen on the right side and Adam Gaudette on the left. Virtanen has been taken under Miller’s wing since his arrival in Vancouver, and he tends to play to the best of his ability when Miller is keeping a close eye on him. As for Gaudette, his days at centre could be numbered, and he tends to play better on the wing anyway. His right-handed shot on his off-side has proven dangerous on the man-advantage, and if he’s playing with a talented player like Miller, maybe he can dial in his one-timer and become the trigger-man of line three.
The conclusion
In today’s game, in order to be a winning team on a consistent basis, it takes an entire lineup to come together as a team. Gone are the days that a team can rely on an offensive top-six and a defensive-minded bottom-six. Teams nowadays need at least three lines that can score, and two lines that can play a solid two-way game. This concoction of players gives the Canucks exactly that.
And for those that fear Miller doesn’t get the minutes he deserves because of a “demotion” to the third line, fear not. Travis Green can take away minutes from the fourth line if he has to, rotate his top three at a relatively equal measure of ice time, while still keeping Miller on the team’s first unit power play.
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At the very least, it’s an idea worth exploring, and one that could benefit the Canucks very much given the right circumstances. What do you think Canucks Nation? Should Vancouver try playing Miller at 3C to give the Canucks potentially the best centre depth in the NHL?