It's been a little over a month since the Vancouver Canucks made the decision to part ways with J.T. Miller, offloading the veteran center in a blockbuster trade with the New York Rangers. That trade effectively put an end to the feud between Miller and Canucks captain Elias Pettersson which had been reported about at length throughout the season.

Since the trade, Miller has absolutely flourished with the Rangers, while Pettersson's season-long woes have not only continued, but gotten worse. Miller has 14 points in 11 games with New York since the trade, having looked more like the 103-point scorer from last season. As for Pettersson, he's recorded just three points in the 10 games since Miller's departure and hasn't scored a single goal in his last 14 games.

In fact, since the trade on Jan. 31, Miller has more points (14) than Pettersson has shots on goal (8). That rings true despite Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet telling the media that the Canucks wanted Pettersson to be more aggressive and take more shots on offense. Meanwhile, since arriving in the Big Apple, Miller has helped reinvigorate a Rangers team that had been performing well below expectations, vaulting them back into the thick of the playoff race.

There's been plenty of discussion among NHL fans in the aftermath of that trade, and many seem to believe the Canucks made a mistake by trading Miller. Despite Miller being 31 years old, five years older than Pettersson, the lack of production from the Swede has been a major concern, prompting fans to suggest Vancouver should've traded him instead of Miller.

There's time for Pettersson to turn things around. After all, he's only two years removed from putting up an impressive 102-point campaign, and he had 89 points in 2023–24 including what was his third consecutive 30-goal season. Still, the decision to move on from Miller hasn't paid dividends for the Canucks, who are at risk of missing out on the playoffs altogether.

Pettersson is signed through the 2031-32 season and collects an AAV of $11.6 million, making him the team's most expensive player. With 35 points in 54 games, the production simply hasn't been there, and his struggles have mounted in the aftermath of Miller's departure.

More of the Latest Sports News


This article was originally published on www.si.com as NHL Fans Think Canucks Messed Up By Trading J.T. Miller Instead of Elias Pettersson.