Things are worsening for former New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller in Vancouver. He has faced struggles with performance, conflicts with teammates, and ongoing trade speculation, and now Canucks coach Rick Tocchet has shared some pointed feedback.
Following a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, where Miller had no points, no shots, and a minus-2 rating in 14:34 of ice time, Tocchet didn’t hold back on his assessment. “Yeah, he’s struggling,” Tocchet remarked about Miller, who achieved 103 points last season. “He’s caught in between. It seems like every time he’s on the ice, something bad occurs. He has had some bad luck, but he also needs to reassess his decisions right now and improve his focus.”
In that game, Miller logged one of his lowest ice-time totals of the season, appearing to be benched after a turnover that led to a goal for the Kings. This season has been challenging for him; he had previously taken a 10-game leave from the team for undisclosed reasons.
Additionally, there have been persistent rumors about an ongoing feud between him and teammate Elias Pettersson, which both Miller and Tocchet have denied. Nonetheless, speculation continues, including talk of Miller potentially returning to the Rangers.
This tumultuous season sees Miller projected to score only 54 points, a nearly 50 percent decrease from last year, as both he and the Canucks have struggled, particularly over the last month.
“It’s hard,” Miller expressed after Thursday’s game. “I’m trying to stay mentally strong, and I believe this is when your character shows. My goal today was to put in maximum effort and see what happens. I feel I did that, but costly mistakes hurt us right now. I need to concentrate more. Regardless of what I do, I find myself in a negative position, and it’s on me. As a leader on the team, there are expectations for me to perform better, and that’s where my focus lies.”
Since December 18, the Canucks have gone 3-6-5, dropping to fifth in the Pacific Division, yet they remain just one point away from a wild-card spot in the Western Conference despite losing six of their last seven games.
As Vancouver struggles, the likelihood of a trade involving Miller grows, with a change of scenery—perhaps a return to New York—possibly being advantageous. After all, he spent his first six professional years with the Rangers organization.
The upcoming schedule doesn’t ease the challenge for the Canucks, featuring two games against the Edmonton Oilers and one versus the league-leading Washington Capitals. We’ll see if Miller can regain his form when Vancouver needs it most.
