Five possible trade scenarios for Canucks forward J.T. Miller

The future of J.T. Miller with the Vancouver Canucks has been a widely discussed topic in NHL circles all year long. The trade rumors took a big turn on Thursday, with the Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting that several teams around the league have checked in on the star forward’s availability, and talks have certainly heated up lately.

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Usually, you’d want to hold on to a player of Miller’s caliber. However, with his upcoming contractual situation and the team’s cap limitations in addition to the league-wide interest in the player, the case to move him in short order may be in the best interest of the team’s future, especially with the haul that he could bring back.

It’s apparent that where ever Jim Rutherford has gone, he’s quick to put his stamp on the team. Exhibit A: trading fan favorite and elite goal scorer James Neal just weeks into his Pittsburgh Penguins tenure to shake up the locker room dynamic.

With the current roster, the Canucks certainly will not be contending for a Stanley cup anytime soon. Moving Miller now would signal a reset and a changing culture as Rutherford looks to put his stamp on the organization. With that being said, what will the Canucks look for in return? Will they focus on a futures heavy return or look for players that can help them win now?

Here are five potential trade scenarios that could make sense for the Vancouver Canucks and their trade partners.

Trade Scenario #1:
New York Rangers

The former New York Ranger draft pick, Miller, spent six seasons with the Rangers before being shipped off to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade-deadline blockbuster. The Blueshirts currently sit atop the Metropolitan division and could be looking at Miller as a piece that directly puts them into Stanley Cup contention.

With the Rangers’ deep prospect and young talent pool, a futures-based trade would make a tonne of sense. One name that the Canucks would target is top RHD prospect, Braden Schneider, to fill an immediate organizational hole on the right side of their defense.

TRADE:

To New York:

JT Miller (C/LW) (50% Retained)

To Vancouver:

Braden Schneider (RHD)
Filip Chytil (C/LW)
2022 1st Round Pick

The Rangers part with a prized prospect and a young roster player here, but add a star forward who fits the team like a glove. The bonus here is that Miller is not a rental and is also under contract next season but acquiring a top-line center at 2.6M AAV will not come cheap.

On the surface, this may seem like a steep price, but with the serious interest around Miller league-wide, this is the price they will have to pay. As for the Canucks, they add a blue-chip prospect, a young roster player in Chytil who seemed to be on the brink of a breakout but has stalled offensively in recent years and could use a more prominent role on a new team to breakthrough. Chytil is a lot better than his numbers suggest.

According to MoneyPuck, Chytil ranks fourth on the Rangers with 8.2 expected goals, and third on the team with an expected goals per 60 minutes of 1.02, all while ranking 19th on the roster in time on ice. Chytil’s third-lowest shooting percentage on the team suggests that he’s simply hasn’t had the best puck-luck, but is getting to the right areas on the ice to score.

And lastly, an additional first-round pick would be nice as the Canucks have seemingly got into the habit of trading theirs away in past years. This signals a clear reset for the organization as they focus on building a roster built to contend around the age group of Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, and Vasily Podkolzin.

Trade Scenario #2:
Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche have dominated in the regular season but can’t seem to get over the hump in the playoffs. Miller is the type of player they would jump all over should he become available. Any trade that sends  Miller to Colorado has to involve Alex Newhook coming the other way. Newhook, who’s been excellent for the Avalanche, isn’t Miller just yet, and Joe Sakic can only wait so long to truly go for the cup before the realities of the salary cap force them to make some difficult roster decisions. The addition of Miller to this already loaded Avalanche roster should quickly catapult them into the Stanley Cup favorites.

TRADE:

To Colorado:

JT Miller (C/LW) (50% retained)

To Vancouver:

Alex Newhook (C/LW)
2023 2nd Round Pick
Tyson Jost (C/LW)

Just as the Rangers had to part away with a prized prospect, the Avalanche will have to stomach the loss of Alex Newhook. But two legitimate cracks at the Stanley Cup with Miller slotting in the team’s top six makes losing Newhook easier to overcome. As for the Canucks, Newhook comes in and slots in as the third line center or in the top six as a winger and will be given every opportunity to produce.

After trading their first-round picks in recent years, the Canucks do not have a single blue-chip prospect in the pipeline, and the addition of Newhook gives the team a potential star that fits the timeline of their core pieces. Moreover, Tyson Jost’s progress has stalled, and he comes to Vancouver looking for a fresh start with a change of scenery, hoping to do him some good.

Trade Scenario #3:
Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild currently see themselves sitting fourth in the Central division in an absolute battle for seeding with the Avalanche, Blues, and Predators. After a hot start, they’ve cooled down a bit, but their sights are set on competing for the Stanley Cup.

After being a middle-of-the-pack team for years, the Wild must put their chips in and reward their fan base by making a push for the ultimate prize. Enough of the mediocrity and first-round exits; when a player like Miller becomes available, they should be all over it. Kevin Fiala’s name was floated around in possible trade packages for Miller earlier in the year, but he alone will likely not get it done. The Wild will likely need to sweeten the deal with a draft pick and a top prospect.

TRADE:

To Minnesota:

JT Miller (C/LW)

To Vancouver:

Kevin Fiala (LW)
Carson Lambos (D)
2022 1st Round Pick

The Minnesota Wild add a legitimate 1st line center to play alongside Kaprizov and Zuccarello for two seasons before potentially extending him. For the Canucks, they immediately plug in a top-six replacement for Miller and add a top right-handed defenceman prospect in addition to a first-round pick. Fiala has proven to be a 50 point winger in the league, and at 25 years old, he still has room to grow as the flashy forward looks to settle down in a new home. Fiala has been teetering on the edge of being just a solid top-six forward or an absolute star in this league for a couple of seasons now. He is what Miller was before he arrived in Vancouver.

According to MoneyPuck, Fiala’s advanced stats suggest that he’s on the cusp of stardom. His 13.2 expected goals are tied with the likes of Steven Stamkos, and ahead of players like Brad Marchand, Aleksander Barkov, Brayden Point, and several other notable names. More impressively he leads the Wild with 1.21 expected goals per 60 minutes. Fiala is a legitimate goal scorer in this league and could take the next step in Vancouver playing with the likes of Pettersson and Boeser.

Furthermore, the organizational defense depth is quite bare for the Canucks, and the addition of Lambos would shoot him up to the top of the depth chart when it comes to their prospect pool.

Trade Scenario # 4:
Florida Panthers

Adding Miller to the Panthers forward group would almost be unfair, and they have plenty of assets in the chamber to get the deal done. Similar to the Rangers, the Canucks have an opportunity to take advantage of a deep prospect pool to complete the deal. It’s unlikely the Panthers part ways with rookie sensation Anton Lundell, but a player like Owen Tippett should definitely be attainable as the centerpiece of a Miller trade package. The Panthers will have to ante up more pieces with a likely bidding war to acquire the star center. As mentioned earlier, a 50% retained top-line center will bring back a massive haul to Vancouver.

TRADE:

To Florida:

JT Miller (C/LW)  (50% retained)

To Vancouver:

Owen Tippett (RW)
Matthew Samoskevich (RW)
2023 1st Round Pick
2024 2nd Round Pick

Though Owen Tippett’s production hasn’t been up to par with his draft selection, at just 22 years old, Tippett has the potential to still live up to those pre-draft expectations with a more prominent role and an increase in ice time with fewer expectations on the Canucks.

According to MoneyPuck Even with very limited ice time, Owen Tippett carries an expected goals of 7.6 on the season, which would be good for 10th on the Panthers. What’s more impressive is his expected goals per 60 minutes which ranks 8th on the team, ahead of players like Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, and Aaron Ekblad. Tippett is no stranger to shooting the puck, which is a great attribute for a young player. He gets his fair share of chances, but has been snake bitten this year with a 7.9% shooting percentage, ranking 7th worst on the team. Nonetheless he has a knack for creating chances, contributing 3.41 high danger expected goals, which is good for 6th on the Panthers. Advanced stats show that Tippett is on the verge of a possible breakout and some puck luck can go a long way to achieving that.

With that being said, with Tippett not being a blue-chip prospect, the Panthers will have to create a more attractive package by adding Matthew Samoskevich. The 2021 first-rounder is part of the powerhouse University of Michigan squad and has produced adequately as a freshman without significant ice-time. For a team like the Canucks, anytime you get the chance to add high draft picks, you take it.