“We got to move on”- Elliotte Friedman speculates how reported rift between J.T. Miller & Elias Pettersson sparked trade decision 

On Friday, Elliotte Friedman discussed the reported rift between former Vancouver Canucks teammates J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson on Sportsnet following Miller's trade to the New York Rangers. The tension between the two players was first reported in October last year. The issue intensified after Miller returned from a 10-game leave of absence in December.

Friedman explained that the team tried to resolve the situation through meetings with coaches, management, and players. However, despite their efforts, the problem continued.

"I think there were some meetings at times this year where everybody tried to meet to solve the problem," Friedman said. "I think coaches tried to intervene. I think management tried to intervene. I think players even said to these two guys, you guys got to sort it out."

After Miller’s return, it was clear that the issue wasn’t resolved. Friedman said people like coach Rick Tocchet, captain Quinn Hughes and executives Jim Rutherford and Patrick Allvin decided it was time for a trade.

"There was Miller going for his time away from the team, is sabbatical, and when he came back, you know, it just wasn't, it just wasn't fixed... [They were] like enough is enough. It's it's taking the toll on everybody else there," Friedman said.

J.T. Miller was traded to the NY Rangers for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini and a 2025 first-round pick. The trade also included Erik Brannstrom and Jackson Dorrington moving to the Rangers.

After the trade went through, Hughes said the team would miss Miller but needed to refocus.

"I think it's just been a lot of noise," Hughes said via NHL.com. "For [Miller], too, it's been a lot on him. I think he's looking forward to a fresh start. We're obviously going to miss him here."

Miller, who had 35 points in 40 games this season, was a key player for Vancouver. However, his strained relationship with Elias Pettersson was hurting the team.

Vancouver Canucks President Jim Rutherford on J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson's situation

In a discussion with the Globe and Mail on Tuesday, Jim Rutherford admitted that despite efforts to fix things, the situation could not be resolved.

“I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved,” Rutherford said. “But it only gets resolved for a short period of time and then it festers again, and so it certainly appears like there’s not a good solution...”

The Canucks decided to move on by trading Miller, believing it was the best choice for the team.