Rick Tocchet's Latest Criticism Puts J.T. Miller's Vancouver Future in Jeopardy
With Vancouver having a season filled with drama and tension, head coach Rick Tocchet's latest comments regarding J.T. Miller prove he could be traded shortly.
A lot of hype came into this season for the Vancouver Canucks. Adding Jake DeBrusk to an already potent lineup with Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, and J.T. Miller seemed to be a recipe for Pacific Division success.
However it's not meant to be, with the Canucks sitting with a 19-15-10 record and sit fifth in the Pacific and ninth in the Western Conference. They also have a ton of locker room drama between Miller and Pettersson and it's been the talk of the city as fans wonder whether one, both, or neither man will end up being traded.
If head coach Rick Tocchet's recent comments have anything to read into, it's that the team might prefer to keep one player over the other and for Miller; he's on the short end of the stick:
I think he has some bad luck, but he also has some reads that he has to look at himself right now, focus on some of these reads. I mean, you can't dive in on a four-on-four, things like that. I think he is trying, but I think the focus level has to get a little higher."
J.T. Miller Needs To Refocus Or Might Need To Start Packing His Bags
Call it bad luck, call it indifference, whatever it is hasn't worked for Miller or the Canucks this season. In 34 games he's only scored eight goals and 29 points and has shown barely any of the grittiness he's known for and often looks complacent on the ice.
It's a stark turnaround for a player who scored 30+ goals over the last three seasons and has 246 goals and 422 assists in 833 games. Miller was drafted 15th overall by the New York Rangers in 2011.
If the Canucks are looking to part ways with their disgruntled star, they'll be in for a lot of work as Miller isn't too privy about heading to any other team than the Rangers.
While it's understandable given his connection to the city, the team is in the middle of an identity crisis and a situation he really shouldn't want to involve himself with until perhaps after the season.
Clearly he isn't focused and doesn't want to play with Vancouver, and his insistence on being sent to one team hurts both his reputation and the Canucks' chances of pulling off a deal.
It seems that nobody in Vancouver likes J.T. Miller, and the feeling's mutual. It's just a matter of time before everyone gets what they want, one way or another.
