Canucks: Miller With 1 Foot Out The Door?

“Hockey Night in Canada” had Canucks forward J.T. Miller traded before the weekend was out.

Didn’t happen.

Instead, Vancouver defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Saturday night, with Miller picking up the primary assist on both of Quinn Hughes’s power play goals. Miller played more than 20 minutes, blocked a shot, delivered a hit and registered one shot-on-goal. He won 78-percent of his face-offs.

Local media tried three different questions with Miller regarding the potential of being traded. He deferred for the most part, while seemingly getting a bit misty while listening to one of the questions.

“I’m not getting into this, I’m planning on being a Canuck today, tomorrow, whatever happens, happens, I’m focused on the next game,” Miller said postgame.

“There’s been a lot of noise,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said after the win. “I’ve been here two-and-a-half years, he’s played a lot of good hockey for me. He was outstanding tonight. We’re just going to march along, but I thought he was terrific tonight.

“That line … I mean that’s a tough line, (Connor) McDavid and (Leon) Draisaitl. We didn’t really shut them down, but they (Miller’s line) did a hell of a job. I give J.T. a lot of credit. Winning those face-offs on the power play, those were big ones for us, that got us the two goals,” Tocchet concluded.

Sounds like the coach isn’t too stoked about potentially losing his heart-and-soul centreman.

Miller is the top Vancouver forward in terms of points-per-game production with 31 in 35 games played. His season face-off percentage is a whopping 58.6%, sixth best among NHL forwards who have taken 500 or more draws.

He was Vancouver’s leading scorer in two of the past three years, eclipsing the 100-point mark (103) for the first time in his career last season.

Regardless of whether or not it’s Miller pushing the buttons for a move, a transaction at this point in the season would require active high end bodies in return, as opposed to prospects and/or picks. Despite the injuries and other setbacks, this is not a Canucks season to be thrown away, although a Miller move might make it feel that way.