Player Discussion What do we have in J.T. Miller?

[Szechwan]

I like Miller a lot but this is a pretty strange thing to say about a player whose poor decisions has been the root cause of several goals against recently.

(I'll be honest, I've been away and missed the last week or so of games)

 

[MikeK]

He’s been tremendous. One of the top 3 forwards on the team every night.

Agreed. He's been a great addition to the team. I was cautiously optimistic when the trade was announced and completely satisfied today. His age and contract + term are just icing on the cake.

 

[canuckking1]

Always thought given the right situation he’d Hit 60 but never could’ve expected this. Wouldn’t be shocked if he hits 70 this year.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

so i've noticed this trend

JT Miller plays for NYR, NYR good team
JT Miller leaves for TB, NYR no longer as good
JT Miller plays for TB, TB good team
JT Miller leaves for VAN, TB no longer as good
JT Miller NOT with VAN, VAN not as good as...
...JT Miller plays for VAN, VAN good team

i haven't seen much of him play, my question is how good is he?

 

[vancityluongo]

not *that* good lol

He's very good though. Definitely been a top line player here.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

not *that* good lol

He's a first liner, but he's not Wayne Gretzky

yea but he must bring some kind of an energy i mean

 

[Killer Orcas]

so i've noticed this trend

JT Miller plays for NYR, NYR good team
JT Miller leaves for TB, NYR no longer as good
JT Miller plays for TB, TB good team
JT Miller leaves for VAN, TB no longer as good
JT Miller NOT with VAN, VAN not as good as...
...JT Miller plays for VAN, VAN good team

i haven't seen much of him play, my question is how good is he?

You might be onto something here and it's very true !! I was very against this at time of trade but he has fit in seemlessly and the team and our core players EP, Boeser and Horvat have taken a step with his arrival.

 

[docbenton]

He's been the best forward on the team at ES and it's not really close, especially in contrast with Pettersson and Boeser who can't seem to manage a zone entry at ES or win a puck battle these days. I'm exaggerating a bit, but the sentiment is true. We need more guys who can skate with the puck like him. He's not as good of a finisher as those guys though, otherwise he'd be leading the team in scoring by a solid margin with the chances he's created.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

so i've noticed this trend

JT Miller plays for NYR, NYR good team
JT Miller leaves for TB, NYR no longer as good
JT Miller plays for TB, TB good team
JT Miller leaves for VAN, TB no longer as good
JT Miller NOT with VAN, VAN not as good as...
...JT Miller plays for VAN, VAN good team

i haven't seen much of him play, my question is how good is he?

Top 2 forward so far for us, without a doubt, certainly the most consistent one

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

You might be onto something here and it's very true !! I was very against this at time of trade but he has fit in seemlessly and the team and our core players EP, Boeser and Horvat have taken a step with his arrival.

When the trade first happened, I immediately did a quick research on him, turns out that he's been improving basically every season since he entered the nhl, almost put up 50 pts last season where he had no consistent role (literally played anywhere from 1st line W to 4th line C on Tampa), which is damn impressive. Add to the fact that he's only 26 and signed to a sweet contract both term and cap hit.

Like if everyone just took off their glasses of hatred toward Jim Benning (which is what I did) and look at this player objectively, there is a very small chance that Miller wouldn't have success with us.

The main argument was that Tampa had to clean off cap so the Canucks should had be able to acquire him for a much cheaper price. Which is not a adequate logic because there was no way that the Canucks was the only team high on Miller.

At the end of the day we had to pay a steep price to win the auction, but I would do this trade again and again. A well developed top 6 winger on a sweet contract doesn't grow on a tree and mature over night for crying out loud.

 

[Killer Orcas]

When the trade first happened, I immediately did a quick research on him, turns out that he's been improving basically every season since he entered the nhl, almost put up 50 pts last season where he had no consistent role (literally played anywhere from 1st line W to 4th line C on Tampa), which is damn impressive. Add to the fact that he's only 26 and signed to a sweet contract both term and cap hit.

Like if everyone just took off their glasses of hatred toward Jim Benning (which is what I did) and look at this player objectively, there is a very small chance that Miller wouldn't have success with us.

Yes he's been a very good player and constantly improving. As per Benning sorry his contacts dolled out alone make me puke. Yes this last year was his best summer but he's had some doozies but what can you do. I'm not the owner can't fire him. Let's hope Miller keeps this pace though this is a clear win for Canucks regardless what the pick turns out to be. He's exceeded expectations and like I said earlier made the core stronger. The step Pettersson, Boeser and Horvat have taken this year is huge. We've got ourselves a beauty core with those guys Hughes and Demko moving forward.

 

[Wayward Son]

So nice to have a trade go our way for once.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Yes he's been a very good player and constantly improving. As per Benning sorry his contacts dolled out alone make me puke. Yes this last year was his best summer but he's had some doozies but what can you do. I'm not the owner can't fire him. Let's hope Miller keeps this pace though this is a clear win for Canucks regardless what the pick turns out to be. He's exceeded expectations and like I said earlier made the core stronger. The step Pettersson, Boeser and Horvat have taken this year is huge. We've got ourselves a beauty core with those guys Hughes and Demko moving forward.

Not for me, I knew he would be a great fit in the top 6

 

[Canucks1096]

I am just hoping all the generalization about JT Miller being a middle 6 winger will stop, also Canucks could of got Miller for a much cheaper price will stop as well. His 56 and 58 points seasons, Both were top 60 in scoring for wingers, you can make an argument that Miller is a 1st line winger.

 

[Killer Orcas]

Not for me, I knew he would be a great fit in the top 6

You have a better eye then me I didn't expect to be getting a top 20 (16 really) player point wise. He's been a great addition and him along with Hughes has given us a PP to be giddy about !!

 

[Peen]

He's really good.

 

[F A N]

Not for me, I knew he would be a great fit in the top 6

I thought/think he would be a great fit in the top 6 too but I too think he's exceeded expectations. His career high in goals is 22 and career high in points is 58 and supposedly he's prone to inconsistent stretches. But through 29 games he already has 12 goals and 29 points and the way he's playing he's been arguably the most consistent forward. And he's good whether he is playing alongside Horvat or Petey. His underlying numbers suggest that he's been one of the most valuable forwards in the league and one of the best two-way players in the league. The way he has played he hasn't just been a 1st line player he's playing at an elite level.

If Miller keeps it up and the Canucks manage to make the playoffs the trade is going to end up being a steal. Outside of the top 6 picks, you've done really well if you draft a player as good as JT Miller.

 

[Melvin]

He has been exactly as expected so far.

Whether or not giving up a 1st at this juncture will pay off remains to be seen.

 

[Disappointed EP40]

I am just hoping all the generalization about JT Miller being a middle 6 winger will stop, also Canucks could of got Miller for a much cheaper price will stop as well. His 56 and 58 points seasons, Both were top 60 in scoring for wingers, you can make an argument that Miller is a 1st line winger.

You should quote ppl

 

[MikeK]

If Miller keeps it up and the Canucks manage to make the playoffs the trade is going to end up being a steal. Outside of the top 6 picks, you've done really well if you draft a player as good as JT Miller.

Totally agree. Even if the Canucks miss the playoffs. As long as they lose the lottery they should hand over the pick. If it isn't a top 5 pick than Miller is very clearly the better addition. The Canucks would have to wait years for any drafted player next June to make as much of an impact as Miller has, if at all. I know the argument has basically been the cost rather than his abilities but hopefully some can move past it at this point. The Canucks got full value out of that trade.

 

[Jum3x]

Totally agree. Even if the Canucks miss the playoffs. As long as they lose the lottery they should hand over the pick. If it isn't a top 5 pick than Miller is very clearly the better addition. The Canucks would have to wait years for any drafted player next June to make as much of an impact as Miller has, if at all. I know the argument has basically been the cost rather than his abilities but hopefully some can move past it at this point. The Canucks got full value out of that trade.

I don't think we have an option, do we?

According to CapFriendly:

Conditions: If the Canucks do not make the playoffs in 2019-20, the 2020 1st round pick will transfer to a 2021 1st round pick instead.

 

[Melvin]

Totally agree. Even if the Canucks miss the playoffs. As long as they lose the lottery they should hand over the pick. If it isn't a top 5 pick than Miller is very clearly the better addition. The Canucks would have to wait years for any drafted player next June to make as much of an impact as Miller has, if at all. I know the argument has basically been the cost rather than his abilities but hopefully some can move past it at this point. The Canucks got full value out of that trade.

I don't know how you can judge "full value" two months into the deal. The argument was always that wee weren't a good enough team, even with Miller, to give up this pick. Let's see what happens with the pick.

 

[DonnyNucker]

I am just hoping all the generalization about JT Miller being a middle 6 winger will stop, also Canucks could of got Miller for a much cheaper price will stop as well. His 56 and 58 points seasons, Both were top 60 in scoring for wingers, you can make an argument that Miller is a 1st line winger.

He is the Canucks best winger and I don’t think it’s particularly close. Sorry to the Boeser lovers.

 

[F A N]

As long as they lose the lottery they should hand over the pick.

I don't think we have an option, do we?

According to CapFriendly:

There's no option to hand over the pick if the Canucks miss the playoffs, but there's nothing stopping the Canucks from trading that pick to Tampa for their own pick back. Regardless, if the Canucks miss the playoffs this season you definitely want to keep the pick.

 

[bandwagonesque]

He has been exactly as expected so far.

This is obviously not true. Here were the expectations:

To me he's a slightly faster Pearson

Decent player but horribly overpriced

Solid middle six player. But not enough of a difference maker to justify risking the sacrifice of a high pick.

Could likely have gotten a comparable winger in free agency, though the salary might have been marginally higher.

By the numbers Baertschi is interchangeable with Miller if not for his injuries.

He’s a decent player. A good complimentary piece. That’s what can be said about him
as a player

complementary middle 6 winger

Sounds like a slightly younger and cheaper version of Louie Eriksson to me.

I see him getting maybe 20 goals and probably close to 50 pts while playing top 6 mins. All we can do is pray he finds chemistry with Bo or Elias. Basically a more useful Sven Baertschi.

he's a guy who is liable to get pushed down the lineup before others. Outside the Top-6 in TOI, EVTOI, and probably points along with that.

I'll tell you what we have in JT Miller. We have a middle-6er ...

I dont think Ill be surprised by JT that much. I expect he will be a serviceable middle 6er with hot stretches and head scratchy moments.

He's a nice player, but people are trying to build him up to something he isn't. Not sure he puts up top 50 PP production here either.

He's a pretty glorified version of Tanner Pearson

Just so this doesn't get sidetracked I'll remind you that I'm not claiming any of these expectations were necessarily unreasonable, although many probably were. I'm saying your present claim that the expectations for Miller were consistent with what he has achieved so far is obviously not true, and it's so far from being true that I'm having trouble understanding why you would even make it. If you still don't like the trade, fine -- that's a separate issue. Miller has clearly exceeded the expectations of nearly everyone.