Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller came close to leaving the team on Saturday but remains on the roster, continuing to be the focus of trade rumors.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, a potential trade between the Canucks and the New York Rangers fell through just before Vancouver’s game against Edmonton.
Initially, Miller was set to be scratched for the match but ended up playing and contributed two assists in the Canucks’ 3–2 victory over the Oilers.
After the game, Miller was asked whether he believed it was his final appearance in a Canucks jersey.
“I’m planning on being a Canuck today, tomorrow,” Miller told reporters after the game. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m focused on the next game.”
During Sportsnet’s “Saturday Headlines” segment, Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Canucks were on the verge of trading J.T. Miller to the Rangers. Negotiations had progressed so far that the 31-year-old forward was expected to be removed from the lineup.
“I believe J.T. Miller was set to be scratched for the game against the Oilers because trade talks were advancing,” Friedman said. “However, that trade is off right now. “There was a time in the last 24 hours where J.T. Miller was not going to play, He was going to be held out of the lineup because talks were progressing on a trade–I believe that team to be the New York Rangers.”
NHL insider Rick Dhaliwal reported that the Canucks had been “working hard” to find a trade partner for J.T. Miller ahead of their game against the Oilers.
However, Dhaliwal noted that Miller’s agent, Brian Bartlett, confirmed the player “never requested or demanded a trade.”
Any potential trade would require Miller’s approval due to the full no-move clause in his seven-year, $56 million contract with the Canucks.
Vancouver’s next game is scheduled for Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres, leaving questions about whether Miller will still be part of the roster by then.
