How close was a J.T. Miller trade this past weekend?

How close was a J.T. Miller trade this past weekend?
Credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images

One of the top players in the game was close to being on the move over the past few days.

To say things have been tumultuous this season for J.T. Miller and the Vancouver Canucks would be an understatement. Along with the rumors of a rift between him and fellow scoring star Elias Pettersson, paired with a history of Miller being a discussion piece of trade talks, it seems like the relationship between player and team is frayed enough to the point where something big might happen.

It almost did this past weekend.

On Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli explains how close the Canucks were to moving on from Miller.

Frank Seravalli: It’s really difficult to answer that because I received a ton of pushback from both sides about how close it was. There was never a formal request from the Vancouver Canucks to J.T. Miller and his camp to waive their no-move clause. That said, I do think the Miller camp, or at least Miller directly to the Canucks, had indicated that the New York Rangers would be a preferred destination. So, I think that they were able to get some work done on that front.

From a Rangers’ perspective, how close did it get? Varying levels depending on who you talk to. The fact of the matter is this – the Canucks were ready and willing to make a deal. That part was abundantly clear, and they have been for a couple weeks now. It seems like there’s been growing momentum to get there. I don’t think, as of today, that anything’s imminent. That said, I think now, because things fell through with the Rangers, because they were on a path and it didn’t get done…this does give some other teams the ability to get involved. In checking around, I phrased the question to one management group, “Were you involved in a J.T. Miller deal?” They said, “Oh, is that past tense?”

One team that I would keep a really close eye on, I’m not sure what they’re willing to pay to make it happen…keep an eye on the Carolina Hurricanes.

You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…

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