Three assets the Canucks could receive in a Miller trade with the Leafs

On Tuesday night Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman set Vancouver Canucks Twitter on fire, and for good reason. During the first intermission of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sportsnet, the panel discussed what Leafs’ General Manager Kyle Dubas could do with newfound cap space.

“If Dubas is going to be able to use his LTI space, I think that’s [going to] make things really interesting for him,” said Friedman before dropping the bomb, “I’m on the J.T. Miller train.”

With Toronto defender Jake Muzzin being placed on LTIR on Wednesday, Dubas now has $5,625,000 to work with, and as most Canucks fans know, Miller’s cap hit of $5,250,000 fits that quite nicely. This revelation has sparked much debate amongst Vancouver fans, and has people wondering what the Leafs have to offer. In this article I will evaluate three of Toronto’s top young assets and offer my opinions on whether or not they would be a strong fit with the Canucks.

#1: Topi Niemelä

A third-round pick in 2020, Topi Niemelä is one of the top prospects in hockey. The defenceman will turn 20 in March, but currently averages the third highest TOI per game for Oulun Kärpät of the Finish Liiga while sitting third in the league in defensive scoring with 30 points in 43 games. The young Fin had big expectations coming into this season following his impressive performance at the 2021 World Junior Championships where he was awarded the honour of being named the tournament’s top defenceman, and so far he has more than lived up to the hype.

Niemelä’s offensive game is excellent. He isn’t afraid to jump up in the rush when an opportunity presents itself, and he is a high-volume smart shooter from the point. One thing he has drastically improved on this season is his offensive vision, and as a result his playmaking abilities. In his draft year, his decision making in the offensive zone was an obvious weakness. However, becoming a consistent top pair defender in his country’s top pro league has allowed him to play important minutes.  This has forced him to get uncomfortable, thus expanding his offensive toolkit and vision.

Defensively, Niemelä’s speed allows him to win puck races consistently, as well as return quickly on the backcheck after joining the offense. However, problems arise when he is under pressure in his own zone. Though he exhibits a fearless attitude when battling, Niemelä stands at just 5-foot-11 and weighs in at 165 pounds. He stature allows him to be pushed around along the boards, often forcing him to make rash decisions. This weakness has already faded this season, and may completely vanish as the right-handed defenceman matures.

Niemelä is at least 2-3 years away from a roster spot in the NHL, but his development has been promising. However, when it comes to the Canucks, the argument against the team acquiring Nils Lundkvist from the New York Ranger comes to mind. Some fans were not thrilled with the idea of receiving Lundkvist, reasoning that Vancouver already has an undersized offensive defenceman in Quinn Hughes.

However, I feel the biggest difference between Lundkvist and Niemelä is that the Leafs prospect’s ceiling is far higher. Though Lundkvist is certainly more NHL ready, Niemelä has the potential to develop into a game breaking dynamic force just like Hughes. I certainly don’t see the problem with having another elite defensive talent take some of the offensive responsibility off of Hughes’ plate, while playing the right side.

#3: Matthew Knies

The Leafs picked Matthew Knies with the 57th overall pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft, and the 19-year-old forward has already provided them first-round value. In his rookie season with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, Knies has dominated the opposition. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound American currently has nine goals and 25 points in 26 games. Recently Knies caught the eye of more onlookers when he was named to the United States Olympic team in Beijing. In the tournament, Knies had two points in four games as the US was eliminated without a medal.

The young prospect’s physical game is certainly his biggest asset. A lot of young players develop into big-bodied threats with a growth spurt and don’t know quite how to utilize their newfound size, but Knies is an outlier. He uses his size and excellent knowledge of positioning to be the first player on pucks, winning nearly every puck battle when driven. His awareness away from the puck allows him to become an under the radar scoring threat, finding space after exploiting uneven matchups.

At the Olympics, Knies showed that he can be effective against pro players, and that he could likely make an impact at the AHL level right away. However, as he continues to develop his puck skills and defensive prowess, Knies will benefit from another season or two in the NCAA. He is already a tremendous leader, but more time to mature and learn at school is never a bad thing. His physicality and hockey IQ might be just what the Canucks need to regain a league wide reputation like they had in 2011: difficult to play against.

With Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV and The Athletic reporting on Thursday that the Leafs, after inquiring about Miller, have possibly decided to go another way, perhaps I got ahead of myself in becoming excited about these prospects. However, with the Leafs also reportedly interested in Vancouver defenceman Luke Schenn, there is a world where the Canucks pursue these assets without losing the services of Miller.

It is worth mentioning that one of Toronto’s top prospects, Rodion Amirov, who has been mentioned as a trade chip before, was diagnosed with a brain tumour on Wednesday. This effectively takes him off the table as some things are far more important than hockey, and what is most important right now is that Dubas and the Leafs provide him the best support and care that they can. The entire hockey world wishes Rodion the best, and you can reach out to him with words of support at Amirov@goldstarhockey.com.