The blockbuster deal sending J.T. Miller back to the New York Rangers was one that seemed less like a shocking turn of events, and more an inevitability as the locker room drama between himself and former teammate Elias Pettersson was deemed to be unfixable.
It was so bad the Canucks President Jim Rutherford even knew there was no hope for the situation, and after the dust had settled it seems like things will finally calm down.
But a new report from Frank Seravalli shows things aren't all of a sudden sunshine and rainbows:
Scoring four points already in only his two games with the Rangers, Miller is showing exactly why he was so coveted ahead of the trade deadline and why players might think the team traded the wrong guy.
Though Miller has no ill will toward his former team, and often did his best to try and soften any drama in the locker room, the fact of the matter is that the Canucks appreciated Miller's uber-competitiveness and skillset when it comes to his play.
Canucks captain Quinn Hughes commented on the situation:
The man at the center of all the drama, Elias Pettersson, was less dramatic when pressed for comments:
Vancouver has lost their two games since Miller was traded, and though it's going to take some time to see who won the trade, at least the team can enjoy Filip Chytil as he's made a strong impression so far since coming over.
This season, Miller has 11 goals and 28 assists in 42 games with the Canucks and Rangers. He was originally drafted by New York in 2011 and scored 72 goals and 100 assists in 341 games in his first six years in the NHL.
If the turmoil in the Canucks locker room is going to continue, then it's going to be a long season. There's no doubt that Miller or Pettersson were going to be traded, which leaves some to wonder: Was Miller the right player to trade away?
POLL | ||
FEVRIER 3 | 620 ANSWERS Canucks Players Furious After GM Trades J.T. Miller, per Insider Report Should Vancouver have traded Elias Pettersson instead of J.T. Miller? | ||
Yes | 433 | 69.8 % |
No | 187 | 30.2 % |
List of polls |