On Sunday, The Athletic's Shayna Goldman caused a stir when she reported that one particular name has repeatedly come up in trade talks with the NHL's trade deadline less than a week away: J.T. Miller.
Miller signed a long-term contract with the Canucks in the offseason that comes complete with a no-movement clause that would allow him to veto any potential trade, but that contract and its clause hasn't kicked in yet. Miller could still be traded by the Canucks at the deadline.
Trade speculation was further fueled by reports that Miller didn't make the trip to Dallas with his team to face the Stars on Monday. The forward reportedly suffered a "minor tweak" in the Canucks' last game against the Boston Bruins, but the injury report did little to calm the rumours, with some wondering if it was just a smokescreen as the team worked on a deal behind the scenes.
Apparently not.
According to the Canucks, Miller doesn't just have a minor tweak, but is out indefinitely, with the team tweeting out that Miller is out week-to-week with a lower body injury.
That seems far more significant than the initial reports and should cool any potential trade talk.
The odds of Miller being moved already seemed slim but, with some big names already off the market, it's possible that a team might have floated an offer to the Canucks that gave them reason to reconsider making Miller part of their long-term plans.
No team is going to trade for a player that is out week-to-week, however, with no date given for a potential return and no clarity on what exactly the injury is. Unless this is an even more elaborate smokescreen from the Canucks, Miller is not getting traded.
Miller being out of the lineup, however, could be a boon to the team's draft lottery odds. After trading Bo Horvat and with Miller injured, the Canucks' centre depth is all but gone. Miller was putting up points since the head coaching change as well, thriving with his somewhat easier deployment under new head coach Rick Tocchet.
Theoretically, Miller's injury should lead to more losses and the Canucks sliding further down the standings, increasing their chances of getting a top pick in what is expected to be an exceptional top tier in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
