VANCOUVER — As the Vancouver Canucks struggled to string together wins over the past two months, the team's general manager was quietly working in the background on finding a new home for one of the club's top stars.
Patrik Allvin spoke to reporters Saturday, less than 24 hours after executing a trade that sent centre J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers.
"Great hockey player, did a lot for the Vancouver Canucks on and off the ice," Allvin said. "And it was a tough decision. But I'm happy for JT and his family and wish him all the best."
It's been a difficult season for both the Canucks (23-18-10) and Miller, who had nine goals and 26 assists in 40 appearances for Vancouver and missed 10 games in November and early December for personal reasons.
When he returned, Allvin decided it was time to start looking for a trade.
“With his health and the environment we had … I felt that he probably needed a fresh start," the GM said, adding that Miller did not request a move. "And where he was in his life and in his age and with his family, this was the best option.”
The move came days after Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford confirmed a long-rumoured rift between Miller and fellow centre Elias Pettersson. In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Rutherford said he didn't see a way to keep the roster together amid the spat.
The story did not detail what the issue was between the two players, but Rutherford said the drama had impacted the entire team.
“J.T. Miller, the reason why he's good in the league is that he's super competitive. And he's walking the fine line at times. And I also think that he's been dealing with a lot of other things," Allvin said. "And I wouldn't just say it's about two players — it's about 23 men that in a dressing room, you hold each other accountable.
"We're not running a country club here. We're running a professional hockey team. And the players are demanding a lot from themselves and each other. So it's going to be a competitive environment.”
The GM admitted that with Miller gone, there will likely be more pressure put on the Canucks' star centre, Elias Pettersson.
That pressure is part of being a professional hockey player, he said, particularly one who's on an eight-year, US$92.8-million contract.
“My expectation is higher on him than anyone else on our team. And I expect him to meet my expectation, and I expect him to meet his own expectations. And so far, he has not done that," Allvin said. "If you talk to him, he's disappointed, but he's aware of it. And I know that he's capable and he will work at it.”
Pettersson has 11 goals and 22 assists in 45 games this season, and is far from on pace for matching the career-high 102 points he posted in the 2022-23 campaign.
In recent games, though, Allvin said he's seen the 26-year-old Swede "committed to doing the right things, finding his way to play to the level where we all know that he's capable of."
"I know that he is doing the extra work that is needed. And I hope that he is one of them that's going to continue to carry the team and lead the team playing the right way. And we need his production here, moving forward as well.”
The Miller deal also sent defenceman Erik Brannstrom and defensive prospect Jackson Dorrington to the Big Apple, while the Canucks received centre Filip Chytil, defenceman Victor Mancini and a conditional first-round draft pick in the 2025 NHL entry draft.
Hours later, Vancouver announced it had flipped the pick in yet another transaction. Along with the selection, the Canucks dealt forward Danton Heinen, blueliner Vincent Desharnais and the rights to forward Melvin Fernstrom to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In exchange, the club received defenceman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O'Connor.
Mancini has been assigned to the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Canucks, but Filip Chytil, Marcus Pettersson and Drew O'Connor are expected to be available to play — at head coach Rick Tocchet's discretion — on Sunday when Vancouver hosts the Detroit Red Wings.
Ensuring the team is cohesive after the drastic moves will be up to the players, particularly the leadership group, and the coaching staff going forward, Allvin said.
"Winning solves a lot of problems," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press