J.T. Miller replacements: 3 perfect fits for Canucks to fill void left by $56,000,000 superstar

The Vancouver Canucks finally put an end to the J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson saga on Friday night. Vancouver traded Miller, Erik Brannstrom, and Jackson Dorrington to the New York Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a 2025 first-round draft pick. The 31-year-old was in just the second season of a seven-year, $56 million contract signed back in 2022.

Now that J.T. Miller is a New York Ranger, the Canucks will likely attempt to move forward with Elias Pettersson and hope it sparks an improvement in his play. Pettersson has been involved in plenty of trade speculation, but it's hard to imagine a team with playoff aspirations trading both of its star forwards midseason.

Because the whole situation was so public, many expected the trade return for Miller to be underwhelming, but that doesn't mean Canucks fans aren't disappointed with how it all went down. With captain Quinn Hughes at the peak of his powers, they know management needs to do more to help the Canucks compete for a Stanley Cup.

Adding a 25-year-old center in Filip Chytil is a nice start, though he's probably best suited as a good third-line center on a playoff-contending team. Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin undoubtedly will need to do more to help fill the void left by J.T. Miller's absence.

It's almost impossible to replace J.T. Miller, so let's get creative and look into three players that the Vancouver Canucks should target to try and do just that.

3 J.T. Miller replacements for the Vancouver Canucks

#1. Mathew Barzal

This one is a pipe dream, but it would sure be fun. Mathew Barzal is one of the more dynamic players in hockey, possessing elite speed, skill, and hockey IQ. Despite his skillset, Barzal hasn't quite reached his full potential on Long Island having been under a point-per-game in six of his eight NHL seasons.

The Islanders have always played a defensive style and lacked talent around Barzal, that would be much different playing in Vancouver with Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson.

While the Islanders certainly aren't looking to move the 27-year-old, that shouldn't stop Vancouver from calling. The Canucks hold all of their first-round picks and two-second-round picks over the next three years, along with several high-end prospects they could dangle in front of the Isles.

It would be a very steep price to pay, but that's what you have to do to compete with juggernauts like the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights in the division. It's very unlikely to happen, but would it be a tremendous fit and replacement for J.T. Miller? Absolutely. Not to mention he's a B.C. native.

#2. Dylan Cozens

Here is a more realistic, yet intriguing target for Canucks fans. Dylan Cozens has long been in the rumor mill. The seventh overall pick back in 2019 broke out with a 68-point (31 goals, 37 assists) season in 2022-23, earning him a big seven-year, $49 million contract. In two years since Cozens production has dipped. That along with the struggles of the Sabres as a team has resulted in lots of trade talk.

Cozens could be a great target for Vancouver as they look to improve their team for the now and the future. At just 23 years old he fits in with the core group of Hughes (25 years old), and Pettersson (26 years old).

Trading for Cozens would come with a cost, but this could be a buy-low situation with the potential that he regains his 68-point form. It's evident that he needs a change of scenery, and just remember that many former Sabres have gone on to thrive in new environments.

#3. Barrett Hayton

Lastly, how about Barrett Hayton? The 24-year-old is in the first season of a two-year, $5.3 million contract with the Utah Hockey Club. The fifth overall pick from the 2018 draft has had an up-and-down career so far. He's shown flashes of his potential including a 43-point (19 goals, 24 assists) campaign in 2022-23, though has yet to truly find his footing.

His name has popped up in trade talks sometimes in recent years and with Utah having Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz down the middle of the ice, Hayton could be expendable. The cost to acquire him shouldn't be too high, making it a low-risk, high-reward move for the Canucks.

Just like Barzal and Cozens, Hayton would be a nice fit in Vancouver for now and years moving forward. He's obviously not at the level of J.T. Miller, but the upside is there so why not take a swing?