Report: Multiple teams have called Canucks about a potential J.T. Miller trade

On Hockey Night in Canada’s 32 Thoughts segment just before puck drop between the Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman dropped a small bit of info about some interest around Canucks centre J.T. Miller ahead of the NHL trade deadline.

“There’s been a lot of talk about his situation,” Friedman said. “I don’t know where this is gonna go, and there’s a chance it might not go anywhere, but I do think teams have called the Canucks and just said, ‘if we wanted to do this, what would you think about here?’ So we’ll see where that goes.”

Miller is in the last year of his current contract that carries a $5.25 million AAV before his massive new seven-year, $56 million extension kicks in that he signed in September. Acquiring Miller and his hefty contract would be a big risk for a team to take on, but he comes with top-six-caliber scoring ability and would fit seamlessly into a playoff-contending team.

Miller has jumped between centre and wing all season and currently sits third in Canucks scoring with 49 points. Since Bo Horvat’s trade to the Islanders in late January, the 29-year-old has taken on a slightly increased role and spent most nights anchoring a line with Conor Garland and a rotating cast on left wing including Vasily Podkolzin, Andrei Kuzmenko and, most recently, Phil Di Giuseppe.

There’s no doubt that the Canucks are in a place where just about every player not named Elias Pettersson is potentially available for the right price. The Canucks currently sit with a 21-30-4 record and 46 points, putting them in a tie with Arizona for the fifth-worst record in the NHL. They’re also just seven points ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks for the league’s worst record, a spot that would guarantee them a top-three pick in the stacked 2023 NHL Draft.