In the immortal words of Staind, “It’s been a while…”
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You don’t need to spend a ton of time on social media to know that it sure sounds like <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/devils-rumoured-interested-vancouver-canucks-miller">a JT Miller trade is back on the menu</a>. Now, to be fair, fans of the Vancouver Canucks have been besieged by so much speculation this season that it’s understandable to tune much of it out.
But when even those who don’t normally engage in rumour-mongering start talking about something, it’s reasonable to listen. And today? Everyone’s talking about a trade involving <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/devils-rumoured-interested-vancouver-canucks-miller">Miller and the New Jersey Devils</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
There&#39;s some smoke out there that the Devils are really kicking the tires on JT Miller.
&mdash; Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hockey_Robinson/status/1880320912610013299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Unfortunately, we cannot confirm or deny the current rumours. Only examine them. And if such a transaction were to go down, it’d probably be helpful to know what the Canucks might reasonably be able to expect in return from the Devils.
<blockquote>Cap Considerations</blockquote>
The Canucks and Devils don’t need to worry too much about salary in any proposed trade, because both have a decent amount of room to work with. In fact, they’ve got basically the exact same cap situation right now.
Both the Canucks and Devils have a bit over $2.5 million in current cap space, and both teams are expected to have accrued enough space to add about $5 million and change to their rosters at the Trade Deadline.
That means either side could accommodate a bit of additional salary if it were needed, and that neither side needs to feel much need to dump any cap.
<blockquote>Off the Table</blockquote>
There is obviously a lot to like about the New Jersey Devils and their roster. They are, simply put, one of the top genuine Cup contenders in the league this year.
Unfortunately, this isn’t a wish-fulfillment exercise. It stands to reason that the majority of the pieces the Canucks might really want back in return for Miller will be kept off the table.
This almost certainly includes:
-Jack Hughes
-Luke Hughes
-Nico Hischier
-Jesper Bratt
-Brett Pesce
Fortunately, that still leaves plenty of intriguing options to be negotiated.
<blockquote>Simon Nemec
RHD, 20, 6’1”, 190lb
$918,333 AAV (expires 2026, RFA)</blockquote>
Most of the speculation thus far has centred around Nemec, and with good reason. Just two years removed from being selected second overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Nemec is young, talented, sizeable, and right-handed. He’s a veritable checklist of ‘things that are valuable in this league.’ He’s an exceptional puck-mover, and that in particular would be very valuable to the Canucks in specific.
So why’s he even on the table? Well, mostly because he put himself there. Nemec has become frustrated at his inability to consistently crack the very deep Devils blueline, and recently said to the media “I can’t remember any number two draft pick that went to the farm for a third year. It’s still too early to request a trade, [but] if this situation continues, it will have to be addressed.”
And to our ears, “still too early to request a trade” sounds an awful lot like a soft trade request.
Nemec’s size, skating, and skill combine to make him a virtual guarantee to eventually be at least a top-four defender at the NHL level. But he’s not there quite yet, and the Devils are firmly going for it, so they can’t afford to play him in a role he’s not ready for. Hence, the current situation, and the all-of-a-sudden possibility of his being included in a trade. 
<blockquote>Dawson Mercer
RW/C, 23, 6’0”, 180lb
$4 million AAV (expires 2027, RFA)</blockquote>
Most Canadian fans will probably remember Mercer for his performance at the 2021 World Juniors for Team Canada. But he’s already on his fourth NHL season, and has spent most of it in the Devils’ top-six.
Then again, if someone were to get bumped out of that top-six to make way for an incoming player, it’d almost certainly be Mercer. He’s currently at just 21 points in 47 games, which is a higher pace than last year (33 in 82) but well behind the 56 points in 82 games he notched as a sophomore. The right description of Mercer is a talented forward who is still figuring out the whole consistency thing.
It&#8217;s also a bit unclear whether Mercer’s long-term future is on the wing or at centre. Obviously, if he came back in exchange for Miller, the Canucks would sure hope he could play some centre. But the Devils haven’t had the most success placing him there, at least thus far.
Mercer has great speed and agility, a high pace to his game, and can definitely shoot – as evidenced by a 27-goal campaign as a 21-year-old.
He’s probably the best forward the Canucks could reasonably expect to get back.
<blockquote>Seamus Casey
RHD, 21, 5’9”, 162lb
$950,000 AAV (expires 2027, RFA)</blockquote>
Casey isn’t nearly as high-profile a prospect as Nemec. But he currently outranks Nemec on the RHD depth chart, and has definitely looked better at both the AHL and NHL levels.
So why isn’t Casey considered the better prospect? It mostly comes down to his far-from-ideal size. He’s talented, sure, but he’s also smaller than Quinn Hughes.
Still, none can deny Casey’s offensive talent, his wheels, or the fact that he actually plays far better defence than anyone might reasonably expect.
He might be perceived as less valuable to the Canucks than Nemec, but it’s also possible that the Devils value Casey more anyway. He’s someone who could be included in the deal and who the Canucks could certainly use, but he probably won’t be the first name they talk about.
<blockquote>Timo Meier
RW, 28, 6’1”, 220lb
$8.8 million (expires 2031, UFA) [NMC]</blockquote>
The Canucks probably aren’t really looking to exchange Miller for an even more expensive forward signed for just as long. But Meier is a rather unique asset. With his size and drive, he’s one of the few genuine power forwards left in the NHL. If he were a centre, he’d look like the perfect Miller replacement. Unfortunately, he’s a winger.
Meier doesn’t quite hit the untouchables list because of somewhat inconsistent production. His current 31 points in 46 games is solid, but nothing to write home about, and a far cry from his career highs 76 points, achieved with the Sharks in 2021/22, or the 40 goals he split between San Jose and New Jersey in 2022/23.
The real sticking point here is position. Do the Canucks need another top-six winger? Absolutely. But were they to trade Miller, a top-six centre would instantly become a higher priority.
And that’s if Jersey is even willing to trade Meier. Given the high price they once paid for him, it’s quite possible they are not. It’s also entirely up to Meier himself, due to his no-movement clause. 
<blockquote>Jonas Siegenthaler
LHD, 27, 6’2”, 218lb
$3.4 million AAV (expires 2028, UFA) [10-team NTC]</blockquote>
Big, but able to skate. Defensively-oriented and responsible. Signed through his entire prime to a bargain contract, but no longer than that. Jonas Siegenthaler is a sneaky good asset.
He might not be the puck-mover the Canucks are looking for, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t drastically improve the shape of their blueline. Consider him a major upgrade on Carson Soucy at essentially the same cap hit.
Siegenthaler is currently on the Devils’ bottom pairing, which is why there is a chance he could be included in any trade. That said, he could have the Canucks on his ten-team no-trade, and that would then require his approval. 
<blockquote>Erik Haula
LW/C, 33, 5’11”, 191lb
$3.15 million AAV (expires 2026, UFA) [NTC]</blockquote>
Nobody is going to be too excited to get an older player back in return for Miller. But if a trade goes down, the Canucks will immediately need some centre depth. Bringing in Haula is one way to get it.
He vacillates between wing and centre, but has played plenty of middle-six pivot in his day, and usually slots in as 3C on these current Devils – when he’s not out with an injury, as he is now. He was good enough for Team Finland in the 4 Nations, and that tells us he’s probably good enough to contribute to the current Canucks. Even at 33, Haula still has some serious speed. Oddly enough, he also has a full NTC!
<blockquote>Dougie Hamilton
RHD, 31, 6’6”, 230lb
$9 million AAV (expires 2028, UFA) [NMC]</blockquote>
Okay, now we may be getting a bit silly. It’s true that the Canucks need help at RHD, and with puck-moving from their blueline in general. It’s true that, among RHDs in the NHL, Hamilton is still one of the best.
But…
Bringing back someone both older and more expensive than Miller in exchange for Miller would seem a bit strange. And Hamilton has somewhat struggled to regain his past offensive prowess after missing the majority of last season with injury. Right now, he’s got just 28 points in 47 games, which would be plenty for most defenders, but not for Hamilton.
Given how badly he seemed to want out of Calgary back in the day, we’re doubtful that Hamilton would even waive his NTC to leave a contender for Canada. Then again, Vancouver does have some stellar museums…
<blockquote>Jonathan Kovacevic
RHD, 27, 6’5”, 223lb
$766,667 AAV (expires 2025, UFA)</blockquote>
Kovacevic would never be a centrepiece in such a big-name trade. But he is someone who the Canucks could reasonably put to use on their current roster. He’s a big physical RHD like Noah Juulsen or Vincent Desharnais, with the additional bonus of being quite competent at NHL defence.
Our favourite fact about Kovacevic is that he’s from the same Ontario hometown as Kevin Bieksa. He’s no Bieksa, but he brings some of that same snarl, and that makes him a better-than-fine throw-in for the Canucks’ purposes. 
<blockquote>Picks and Prospects of Note</blockquote>
There once was a time when we would have said that any major trade needed to be primarily focused on making the Canucks better in the here and now. We’re no longer quite so sure, and so we’ll conclude with a brief mention of some picks and prospects of note that could also theoretically be included.
The Devils traded their 2025 first round pick for Jacob Markstrom, but they also got their hands on a total of three second rounders, so they’ve got plenty to offer. They still have their first rounder for 2026 and every year thereafter.
Even if we include the aforementioned Nemec and Casey in the count, New Jersey’s top overall prospect is probably 6’7” LHD Anton Silayev, picked at 10th overall this past draft. He’s good enough that he might just qualify for that ‘off the table’ group.
The high-scoring forward Arseny Gritsyuk, the skilled Lenni Hameenaho, and the two-way Topias Vilen are all at least ‘B’ prospects themselves.
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In the immortal words of Staind, “It’s been a while…”
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2111" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="329"></div>
&nbsp;

You don’t need to spend a ton of time on social media to know that it sure sounds like <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/devils-rumoured-interested-vancouver-canucks-miller">a JT Miller trade is back on the menu</a>. Now, to be fair, fans of the Vancouver Canucks have been besieged by so much speculation this season that it’s understandable to tune much of it out.

But when even those who don’t normally engage in rumour-mongering start talking about something, it’s reasonable to listen. And today? Everyone’s talking about a trade involving <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/devils-rumoured-interested-vancouver-canucks-miller">Miller and the New Jersey Devils</a>.

https://twitter.com/Hockey_Robinson/status/1880320912610013299

Unfortunately, we cannot confirm or deny the current rumours. Only examine them. And if such a transaction were to go down, it’d probably be helpful to know what the Canucks might reasonably be able to expect in return from the Devils.
<blockquote>Cap Considerations</blockquote>
The Canucks and Devils don’t need to worry too much about salary in any proposed trade, because both have a decent amount of room to work with. In fact, they’ve got basically the exact same cap situation right now.

Both the Canucks and Devils have a bit over $2.5 million in current cap space, and both teams are expected to have accrued enough space to add about $5 million and change to their rosters at the Trade Deadline.

That means either side could accommodate a bit of additional salary if it were needed, and that neither side needs to feel much need to dump any cap.
<blockquote>Off the Table</blockquote>
There is obviously a lot to like about the New Jersey Devils and their roster. They are, simply put, one of the top genuine Cup contenders in the league this year.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a wish-fulfillment exercise. It stands to reason that the majority of the pieces the Canucks might really want back in return for Miller will be kept off the table.

This almost certainly includes:

-Jack Hughes

-Luke Hughes

-Nico Hischier

-Jesper Bratt

-Brett Pesce

Fortunately, that still leaves plenty of intriguing options to be negotiated.
<blockquote>Simon Nemec

RHD, 20, 6’1”, 190lb

$918,333 AAV (expires 2026, RFA)</blockquote>
Most of the speculation thus far has centred around Nemec, and with good reason. Just two years removed from being selected second overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Nemec is young, talented, sizeable, and right-handed. He’s a veritable checklist of ‘things that are valuable in this league.’ He’s an exceptional puck-mover, and that in particular would be very valuable to the Canucks in specific.

So why’s he even on the table? Well, mostly because he put himself there. Nemec has become frustrated at his inability to consistently crack the very deep Devils blueline, and recently said to the media “I can’t remember any number two draft pick that went to the farm for a third year. It’s still too early to request a trade, [but] if this situation continues, it will have to be addressed.”

And to our ears, “still too early to request a trade” sounds an awful lot like a soft trade request.

Nemec’s size, skating, and skill combine to make him a virtual guarantee to eventually be at least a top-four defender at the NHL level. But he’s not there quite yet, and the Devils are firmly going for it, so they can’t afford to play him in a role he’s not ready for. Hence, the current situation, and the all-of-a-sudden possibility of his being included in a trade. 
<blockquote>Dawson Mercer

RW/C, 23, 6’0”, 180lb

$4 million AAV (expires 2027, RFA)</blockquote>
Most Canadian fans will probably remember Mercer for his performance at the 2021 World Juniors for Team Canada. But he’s already on his fourth NHL season, and has spent most of it in the Devils’ top-six.

Then again, if someone were to get bumped out of that top-six to make way for an incoming player, it’d almost certainly be Mercer. He’s currently at just 21 points in 47 games, which is a higher pace than last year (33 in 82) but well behind the 56 points in 82 games he notched as a sophomore. The right description of Mercer is a talented forward who is still figuring out the whole consistency thing.

It's also a bit unclear whether Mercer’s long-term future is on the wing or at centre. Obviously, if he came back in exchange for Miller, the Canucks would sure hope he could play some centre. But the Devils haven’t had the most success placing him there, at least thus far.

Mercer has great speed and agility, a high pace to his game, and can definitely shoot – as evidenced by a 27-goal campaign as a 21-year-old.

He’s probably the best forward the Canucks could reasonably expect to get back.
<blockquote>Seamus Casey

RHD, 21, 5’9”, 162lb

$950,000 AAV (expires 2027, RFA)</blockquote>
Casey isn’t nearly as high-profile a prospect as Nemec. But he currently outranks Nemec on the RHD depth chart, and has definitely looked better at both the AHL and NHL levels.

So why isn’t Casey considered the better prospect? It mostly comes down to his far-from-ideal size. He’s talented, sure, but he’s also smaller than Quinn Hughes.

Still, none can deny Casey’s offensive talent, his wheels, or the fact that he actually plays far better defence than anyone might reasonably expect.

He might be perceived as less valuable to the Canucks than Nemec, but it’s also possible that the Devils value Casey more anyway. He’s someone who could be included in the deal and who the Canucks could certainly use, but he probably won’t be the first name they talk about.
<blockquote>Timo Meier

RW, 28, 6’1”, 220lb

$8.8 million (expires 2031, UFA) [NMC]</blockquote>
The Canucks probably aren’t really looking to exchange Miller for an even more expensive forward signed for just as long. But Meier is a rather unique asset. With his size and drive, he’s one of the few genuine power forwards left in the NHL. If he were a centre, he’d look like the perfect Miller replacement. Unfortunately, he’s a winger.

Meier doesn’t quite hit the untouchables list because of somewhat inconsistent production. His current 31 points in 46 games is solid, but nothing to write home about, and a far cry from his career highs 76 points, achieved with the Sharks in 2021/22, or the 40 goals he split between San Jose and New Jersey in 2022/23.

The real sticking point here is position. Do the Canucks need another top-six winger? Absolutely. But were they to trade Miller, a top-six centre would instantly become a higher priority.

And that’s if Jersey is even willing to trade Meier. Given the high price they once paid for him, it’s quite possible they are not. It’s also entirely up to Meier himself, due to his no-movement clause. 
<blockquote>Jonas Siegenthaler

LHD, 27, 6’2”, 218lb

$3.4 million AAV (expires 2028, UFA) [10-team NTC]</blockquote>
Big, but able to skate. Defensively-oriented and responsible. Signed through his entire prime to a bargain contract, but no longer than that. Jonas Siegenthaler is a sneaky good asset.

He might not be the puck-mover the Canucks are looking for, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t drastically improve the shape of their blueline. Consider him a major upgrade on Carson Soucy at essentially the same cap hit.

Siegenthaler is currently on the Devils’ bottom pairing, which is why there is a chance he could be included in any trade. That said, he could have the Canucks on his ten-team no-trade, and that would then require his approval. 
<blockquote>Erik Haula

LW/C, 33, 5’11”, 191lb

$3.15 million AAV (expires 2026, UFA) [NTC]</blockquote>
Nobody is going to be too excited to get an older player back in return for Miller. But if a trade goes down, the Canucks will immediately need some centre depth. Bringing in Haula is one way to get it.

He vacillates between wing and centre, but has played plenty of middle-six pivot in his day, and usually slots in as 3C on these current Devils – when he’s not out with an injury, as he is now. He was good enough for Team Finland in the 4 Nations, and that tells us he’s probably good enough to contribute to the current Canucks. Even at 33, Haula still has some serious speed. Oddly enough, he also has a full NTC!
<blockquote>Dougie Hamilton

RHD, 31, 6’6”, 230lb

$9 million AAV (expires 2028, UFA) [NMC]</blockquote>
Okay, now we may be getting a bit silly. It’s true that the Canucks need help at RHD, and with puck-moving from their blueline in general. It’s true that, among RHDs in the NHL, Hamilton is still one of the best.

But…

Bringing back someone both older and more expensive than Miller in exchange for Miller would seem a bit strange. And Hamilton has somewhat struggled to regain his past offensive prowess after missing the majority of last season with injury. Right now, he’s got just 28 points in 47 games, which would be plenty for most defenders, but not for Hamilton.

Given how badly he seemed to want out of Calgary back in the day, we’re doubtful that Hamilton would even waive his NTC to leave a contender for Canada. Then again, Vancouver does have some stellar museums…
<blockquote>Jonathan Kovacevic

RHD, 27, 6’5”, 223lb

$766,667 AAV (expires 2025, UFA)</blockquote>
Kovacevic would never be a centrepiece in such a big-name trade. But he is someone who the Canucks could reasonably put to use on their current roster. He’s a big physical RHD like Noah Juulsen or Vincent Desharnais, with the additional bonus of being quite competent at NHL defence.

Our favourite fact about Kovacevic is that he’s from the same Ontario hometown as Kevin Bieksa. He’s no Bieksa, but he brings some of that same snarl, and that makes him a better-than-fine throw-in for the Canucks’ purposes. 
<blockquote>Picks and Prospects of Note</blockquote>
There once was a time when we would have said that any major trade needed to be primarily focused on making the Canucks better in the here and now. We’re no longer quite so sure, and so we’ll conclude with a brief mention of some picks and prospects of note that could also theoretically be included.

The Devils traded their 2025 first round pick for Jacob Markstrom, but they also got their hands on a total of three second rounders, so they’ve got plenty to offer. They still have their first rounder for 2026 and every year thereafter.

Even if we include the aforementioned Nemec and Casey in the count, New Jersey’s top overall prospect is probably 6’7” LHD Anton Silayev, picked at 10th overall this past draft. He’s good enough that he might just qualify for that ‘off the table’ group.

The high-scoring forward Arseny Gritsyuk, the skilled Lenni Hameenaho, and the two-way Topias Vilen are all at least ‘B’ prospects themselves.

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