"Miller will destroy the room", "Absolutely": Leafs nation divided on $60,000,000 Maple Leafs D-man's potential blockbuster trade for J.T. Miller

Toronto Maple Leafs fans are divided on whether the team should consider trading defenseman Morgan Rielly in a blockbuster deal for Canucks forward J.T. Miller.

A poll on social media asked Maple Leafs fans:

"Should the Maple Leafs consider trading Morgan Rielly for Canucks’ J.T Miller?"

Rielly, who is in the second year of an eight-year, $60 million contract, is having a down season with just 22 points in 51 games. Meanwhile, Canucks president Jim Rutherford has acknowledged that trade talks involving Miller are ongoing.

In response to the poll, one fan wrote,

"No, Miller will destroy the room," indicating concern about chemistry if the trade happened.

However, another fan enthusiastically wrote:

"Absolutely."

Here are other fan reactions:

"This is a pretty bad idea. The Leafs blue-line is already hurting for another puck mover and you want to move their best one?" one fan wrote.

"Yes. Make another trade for a puck moving D man. The Leafs offense is so stale, Miller would change up a lot of looks," another fan wrote.

"Been saying this since last year, Riley is barely a top 4 dman, so many excuses given but end of the day he is not living up to his contract, and never will," a user commented.

"Yes. Then Toronto has to find a Reilly upgrade by the deadline. Or Tre can see this season for what it is and realize the team isn't good enough, and just be sellers at the deadline," another user wrote.

Rielly is struggling this season, and Miller seems likely to be moved from Vancouver given his reported rift with Elias Pettersson. These factors make the two teams logical trade partners — different conferences, similar cap hits and each filling a need for the other.

Canucks' president Jim Rutherford on J.T. Miller's rift with Elias Pettersson

In a candid interview with The Globe and Mail, Vancouver Canucks president Jim Rutherford shed light on the ongoing tensions between star players J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson.

Rutherford acknowledged that major changes could be coming ahead of the trade deadline as the organization struggles to resolve the rift between the two key players.

"I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved. But it only gets resolved for a short period of time and then it festers again."

He went on to say,

"It certainly appears like there's not a good solution that would keep this group together."

Rutherford revealed that the team has had extensive discussions with Miller and Pettersson, but the deep-seated emotions involved have made it increasingly difficult to find a lasting resolution.