The Vancouver Canucks were a different team when they first acquired J.T. Miller. In a deal made on June 22, 2019, the second day of the 2019 NHL Draft, Vancouver traded goaltender Marek Mazanec, a 2019 third-round pick, and a 2020 conditional first-round pick for Miller in a move that initially confused Canucks fans.
Nearly six years later, it’s clear that fans had nothing to worry about.
On Friday, January 31, Miller was traded to the New York Rangers, the team that drafted him 15th overall back in 2011. Heading to New York alongside him are Erik Brännström, who was acquired by Vancouver only a few months ago, and prospect Jackson Dorrington, who was picked in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Centre Filip Chytil, defender Victor Mancini, and a top 13-protected 2025 first-round pick came to Vancouver in exchange. As Miller begins another journey with the Rangers, let’s take a look at the spectacular six years that he spent with the Canucks.
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Miller arrived in Vancouver fresh off a 47-point campaign with the Tampa Bay Lighting, who had just been swept in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Stuck behind a lineup featuring Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, and more, there wasn’t much opportunity for Miller to blossom offensively in Tampa Bay. In his first season with the Canucks, that offensive output flourished.
Once in Vancouver, Miller ended up on a line with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser — with the group eventually being referred to as the “lotto line,” as the popular BC lottery name matched the jersey numbers of the players. In 69 games, Miller led the team in points with 27 goals and 45 assists, both of which were career highs for him at the time. He scored his 100th career NHL goal during this season in a 7–2 victory against the Florida Panthers.
Despite the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Miller helped the team along to an eventual playoff berth in August of 2020. He averaged over a point per game put together in the team’s series’ against the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis blues, and Vegas Golden Knights, with six goals and 12 assists registered in 17 games played. At the end of their playoff run, he and Pettersson were tied for the team…