His drag-them-into-the-fight performance on Saturday night was a flash from the past. If only it could last.
For at least one night, everything seemed so right.
And if that was Miller’s final franchise performance, it was quite the exit. Hounding Connor McDavid, battling Leon Draisaitl, two assists, 18-for-23 faceoff dominance in an increased 20:25 of ice time.
It was a flash from the past. If only it could last.
Miller’s post-game response painted a picture of someone in flux. After all, when you’re not wanted, why would you want to stay? He had to know he wasn’t going to play Saturday if a deal was imminent.
“Probably good you’re playing the Oilers and having a matchup assignment to keep me focused,” he admitted. “I’m not getting into this (trade speculation). I’m planning on being a Canuck today, tomorrow and whatever happens, happens. I’m focused on the next game.”
“There’s a lot of noise, but he’s played a lot of good hockey for me,” lauded the Canucks head coach. “He was outstanding tonight. Just terrific. McDavid and Draisaitl are tough to shut down and I have to give J.T. a lot of credit.”
It was love at first sight when Tocchet and Miller crossed practice paths. The bench boss was buoyed by a player who mirrored his forceful game as a true power forward. And the player was quite taken by the comparison. The buy-in was instant.
“It’s just very helpful for me to have a guy who understands what I go through on a daily basis physically and mentally,” Miller stressed at that time. “Rick has been awesome. He keeps me very accountable, which is what I asked for on Day 1.”
Which, of course, poses the question: How did everything go so wrong for Miller to get to this place of career uncertainty?
How do you plummet from a career-high 103 points (37-66) last season to finish ninth in NHL scoring and have a frenetic fan following chanting your name? Miller has but eight goals this season in 35 games.
But there was more. Much more.
How did battling through “stuff” that kept Miller from playing in the pre-season, then not taking faceoffs with an apparent early season upper-body ailment, affect compete and production levels?
Pettersson, 26, wants to stay and his level of engagement Saturday — two heavy board hits on a shift that included diving behind the net to poke the puck so the Canucks couldn’t retain possession — was encouraging. But his game is not Miller’s game.
However, if Miller, 31, needs a change of scenery to ignite his fire on a nightly basis, the Canucks seem content to retain Pettersson’s $11.6 million annual salary cap hit over Miller’s $8 million for three more seasons. That could be palatable to a trade suitor.
Miller also has a no-movement clause and would have to waive it to complete a trade. He hasn’t asked to be moved, but the vibe around the player and the room and a season gone south would suggest that something has to give.
The Canucks reportedly had a deal in place with the New York Rangers that would have kept Miller from playing Saturday. But it fell apart.
However, when that coincided with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford not dressing players Saturday who could have figured in a trade package — centre Bo Groulx and wingers Jasoslav Chmelar and Adam Sykora — it moved the curiosity meter.
Trading a marquee player is also a tough sell to ownership because the Canucks are supposed to be in a window to win. A Miller exit would signal that this is not the year, unless a first-line centre is in the return, because you’re not going anywhere without a strong one-two punch down the middle.
The Canucks also have but one sellout this season, are just 8-9-6 on home ice, and the frequency of fans booing poor performances after dishing out big bucks for tickets, food and drinks is growing. Ownership needs to stop the bleeding in belief.
There’s an adage that you never trade one of your best players because he could come back to haunt you. It’s why the Rangers have been chasing Miller for years to return to the franchise fold. Two years ago in advance of the trade deadline, there was some chatter that Miller could be a chip in play to re-tool, refresh or rebuild the struggling Canucks.
Miller had another year left on his deal at $5.25 million and more than one club was kicking the trade tires. The Canucks could have asked the Rangers for a first-round pick, prime prospect and a centre in return to meet management’s criteria of buying age, picks and potential.
Centre Filip Chityl, 22, a 6-foot-3 210 pounder and 2017 first-rounder, had 11 points (4-7) through 38 games in the 2020-21 season. He had 14 goals two seasons before that in 60 games and was on pace for 20 goals.
And to fill a pressing need for right-shot help on the back end, a pitch for 2020 first-rounder in 6-foot-2, 210-pound Braden Schneider, 20, made sense.
The Rangers would have had slotting options with Miller and a centre-ice solution, if unrestricted free agent centre Ryan Strome bolted. He was a signing priority, but Miller would be good insurance if talks went sideways.
None of that came to fruition. And now, it’s not as simple as swapping Miller for Rangers centre Mika Zibinejad, 31, who has three more season with an $8.5 million annual cap hit.
Like Miller, he’s off normal production pace with eight goals in 45 games this season. But he doesn’t want to waive his NMC to relocate to Vancouver.
And so we wait.