"That trade is off right now": Elliotte Friedman claims J.T. Miller's blockbuster trade to NY Rangers broke down

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has said that a potential blockbuster trade sending J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers has broken down.

Speaking on Sportsnet ahead of the Canucks' game against the Edmonton Oilers, Friedman said:

"J.T. Miller I expect is going to play tonight, unless something changes at the last minute. But there was a time in the last 24 hours where J.T. Miller was not going to play.He was going to be held out of the lineup because talks were progressing on a trade, I believe that team to be the New York Rangers."

Friedman added:

"Now I don't know exactly what happened but that trade is off right now. ... Things had progressed to a certain point where he was definitely not going to play."

Early this week, the Canucks have been warning other teams about tampering, claiming that no one was allowed to speak to their players without permission. However, Friedman noted that some teams have permission to talk to Miller now, but it's unclear who they are.

The 31-year-old Miller has had a tough season in Vancouver, with only eight goals and 29 points in 38 games. His ice time dropped to 14:24 in the Canucks' last game against the Kings.

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J.T. Miller discusses his struggles with the Canucks

J.T. Miller has gone pointless in his last five games, including Thursday's loss to the Los Angeles Kings, where he had a costly turnover leading to a goal.

Miller said:

“It's hard. I'm trying to be mentally strong. And I think this is where your character shows, in moments like this. So today, my mindset was to work my ass off and see what happens. And I really still think I did that, but it's just costly mistakes right now. I just need to focus more," Miller said.

He acknowledged that his play hasn't met his usual high standards lately.

"It doesn't matter what I do. I'm on the wrong side right now, and it's on me. I'm a leader on the team, and the team expects me to be a lot better than this. So that's my focus," Miller added.

The veteran forward and the Canucks will look to bounce back in their next game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at Rogers Arena.