Canucks trade disgruntled forward J.T. Miller to Rangers in 6-player deal

One of the NHL's more bizarre situations is finally being resolved. Center J.T. Miller has been traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers, according to multiple reports.

Miller and teammate Elias Pettersson, two of the Canucks' top scorers, have had tensions developing between them going back approximately three seasons. The feud largely comes down to Miller's aggressive leadership style, which clashed with the younger Pettersson's quieter style.

The two fought during practice in late October, slashing each other with their sticks. Their disagreement has become a significant falling out, which has split the team's locker room, despite public denials.

In mid-November, Miller left the Canucks indefinitely for what the team said were personal reasons. He rejoined the team after a 10-game absence, appearing in all 23 of Vancouver's games since then.

The dispute has been a major factor in Vancouver falling from a 50-23-9 first-place finish last season to its current 23-17-10 mark. That leaves them fifth in the eight-team Pacific Division and ninth in the Western Conference, on the outside looking in for a playoff spot.

Concurrently, Miller put up his best numbers last season, tallying 103 points (37 goals, 66 assists). However, his production has fallen to nine goals and 26 assists this season.

Pettersson, 26, signed an eight-year, nearly $93-million last March, but has also seen his performance falter from 89 points (34 goals, 55 assists) last season to 11 goals and 21 assists in 44 games this season.

To resolve the issue, the Canucks had worked out a deal to send Miller to the Rangers, but that trade fell through. Miller has a no-movement clause in his contract, but was willing to waive it to return to New York, where he began his NHL career and played six seasons. Pettersson was also nearly traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in another deal that broke down.

This week, Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford acknowledged in an interview with The Globe and Mail's Gary Mason that the rift that has split the team and changed once-promising plans.

"We've had those conversations and I think the parties understand that and I think they've tried," Rutherford explained. "As you know, sometimes emotions get deep and as much as people try sometimes you can't get over it. It certainly appears that's what's going on here."

"We're talking about two of our top players," he added. "Certainly, our two best forwards. It can really be tough on a franchise – not only present, but into the future – when you're planning on peaking this team into a contending team and then you find out that's not going to happen. Or at least it's not going to happen with the group we have now. Then you have to put together a new plan."

However, the Canucks and Rangers finally agreed on a trade that both teams hope fuels a turnaround.

Going to Vancouver in exchange for Miller is center Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini and a protected first-round pick will be headed to the Canucks as part of the deal. The Rangers will also receive defensemen Jackson Dorrington and Erik Brannstrom in the trade package.

The 2025 first-rounder traded to the Canucks is protected if it's among the NHL Draft's top 13 selections, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.