“A Matter of When, Not If”: J.T. Miller Trade Expected Before Four Nations, Devils Not a Fit

J.T. Miller #9 of the Vancouver Canucks (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The situation in Vancouver with the Canucks and J.T. Miller has reached at a tipping point. As RG has previously reported, there is an expectation that NHL GMs will be active prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off break in February. The Canucks, who are looking to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, are one of the teams that are reportedly looking to tweak their roster with a couple of moves; and that stats with J.T. Miller.

According to a source who spoke with RG, the belief is that J.T. Miller will happen before the Four Nations Face-Off.

“It's not a matter of if he will get traded; it is a matter of when at this point,” a source told RG. “It is coming to a head, and it is going to be very interesting, and the feeling is it happens before the Four Nations.”

Not A Fit In Jersey

Several reports have linked J.T. Miller to several teams: the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, and New Jersey. The Rangers and Hurricanes are top leaders, and despite all the reports linking the Devils to Miller, those talks have not occurred.

“There is a lot of pre-Four Nations smoke out there,” a source told RG. “Does it make sense for the Devils to mortgage their future for a 31-year-old player?

The Devils are looking to upgrade their forward position. As Tom Fitzgerald explained in an exclusive interview with RG, they are in the market for a center—one with versatility that fits the group he has built. Many have forgotten what Fitzgerald said at the beginning of the season about having the right kind of player on the team.

But even if the Devils did check and were trying to add J.T. Miller, where is he going to play?

“If he wants to play center, he would be your third center, right? I mean, he is not playing over Jack Hughes, not playing over Nico Hischier,” a source told RG. “He could play the wing, but he wants to play center.”

The Devils do not have a lot of cap space to begin with. New Jersey's general manager is not just thinking about this year but also about subsequent years.  With Miller’s hefty $8M contract, the Devils would need Vancouver to retain his salary, which is something they are not willing to do as of yet. Not to mention, the Devils would have to readjust their salary structure to add Miller.

There was a lot of smoke around Simon Nemec potentially being on the move. However, a source has indicated to RG that Nemec has never been included in trade talks and the New Jersey Devils are refusing to entertain any trade talks with him involved.

“Why would a team trade a highly drafted, promising, right-shot defenseman? That is not the type of player you move for an older player.”

The Hurricanes With an Inside Track

With the Devils out of the picture, Carolina is the team still in the discussions. We know Carolina and Vancouver had talks last season. As one source told RG, Miller to Carolina is a perfect fit.

“He would fit in perfectly in Carolina and Rod Brind'Amour's system with the ability to move up and play wing or center,” a source told RG. “They need a guy who can produce that way and bring a little more fire to the group. It always seems like it's the coach bringing the fire to the group; doesn't it need to be a player bringing the fire to the group? So, I mean, that would be a perfect situation.”

It is unclear from the source what the Hurricanes would be giving up, but Vancouver's offers have not been the best, but they want to make this happen.