Canucks HC Rick Tocchet makes feelings known about J.T. Miller's recent form, dispels injury rumors

Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller has had a tumultuous few weeks. The 31-year-old’s much-publicized rumored rift with fellow Canucks forward Elias Pettersson has been grabbing all the headlines.

Miller, who took a leave of absence for four weeks in November, has been getting much less time on the ice. This was especially evident during the Canucks recent five-game road trip.

Vancouver-based sports reporter Noah Strang shared on X on Thursday that Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet dispelled any rumors that Miller was carrying an injury that might have limited his playing time.

"No, he's not hurt," says Rick Tocchet on J.T. Miller.

"We're playing more four lines and I think it's helped our team adjust, not giving the other team as many shots, trying to stay in the game. He wants to play better, he knows it."

The Vancouver Canucks were expected to be Stanley Cup contenders this season. Instead, they have struggled to find any rhythm or form and are struggling outside the playoff spots. Miller himself had no answers on Thursday when asked about why his ice time on the road trip had been reduced.

“I don’t know,” says J.T. Miller when asked why his ice time trended downwards on the road trip.

“Probably could play a little better, I don’t know.”

J.T. Miller more likely to be traded, claim pundits

With multiple reports from Vancouver claiming that Miller and/or Pettersson will be traded soon, hockey analysts have not been shy about airing their opinions. A significant portion of insiders believe that Miller is the likely choice to move on.

NHL insider Chris Johnston on Tuesday said that Vancouver might be looking to move Miller.

"We’re talking about significant players here, and as Vancouver continues to work through its options, according to the sources I talked to, there’s a sense league-wide that J.T. Miller is the more likely of the two players to be moved," he said on TSN's Insider Trading.

Strang himself in an article for The Daily Hive on Tuesday claimed that the Canucks were more likely to trade Miller.

“While the difference in trade protection may make a Miller deal more difficult to execute, it’s not hard to see why the Canucks would rather hold on to Pettersson. The Swedish center is five years younger, already has a 100-point season under his belt, and blows Miller’s results at the same age out of the water,” Strang wrote.

With this turmoil surrounding their players, it’s no wonder that the team's performance has suffered. The Canucks have only won three of their last 10 games and go into their match against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday desperate for a victory.