With a locker room rift growing, should the Canucks trade J.T. Miller?

The Vancouver Canucks have struggled as of late, going 5-6-2 in the month of January. During this stretch, plenty of attention has been given to their two star forwards, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. While there had been rumors of an ongoing rift between the teammates, Canucks president Jim Rutherford recently acknowledged their issues and the effects on the locker room.

Since the whispers of the rift first came out, trade rumors have surrounded Miller, who is under contract until 2030. Since being traded to Vancouver in 2019, the 31-year-old has been an elite offensive force, scoring 436 points in 403 games, which is good for 11th most in the NHL since 2019-20.

Although Miller (34 points in 39 games) is currently outscoring Pettersson (31 points in 43 games), Pettersson, 26, is the younger of the two, and with him making $11.6 million per year until 2032 (compared to Miller's $8 million), he would be harder to move. 

With all that being said, should the Canucks even entertain trading Miller, who currently is the second leading scoring on the team? Given the team's struggles and the confirmation by Rutherford, trading Miller is a risky move, but likely worth it to get the group back on track.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet recently reported that the New York Rangers, Miller's former team, offered youngster Filip Chytil, a first-round pick and a prospect to Vancouver. Chytil, a 25-year-old former first round pick, has 20 points in 40 games this season.

Certainly, the Canucks would like a return that features a younger player that can fill some of the offensive hole that Miller would leave behind. The Colorado Avalanche were recently able to acquire Martin Necas from the Hurricanes after giving up their superstar winger Mikko Rantanen. Although Miller is not quite on the level of Rantanen, his trade value should still see a similar return.

Friedman also mentioned that the New Jersey Devils might be in the mix for Miller. Like the Rangers, New Jersey could offer a young center in need of a change of scenery: Dawson Mercer, a 23-year-old former first round pick who has 12 goals and 23 points in 53 games. 

Although New Jersey doesn't have a first-round pick in this year's draft, it could offer a higher end prospect like Simon Nemec and a second-round pick to get the deal done.  

Vancouver is currently one point out of the wild-card spot, having tumbled since Thanksgiving, when it was third in the Pacific division. With the March 7 trade deadline looming, the Canucks need to make a decision on both Miller and the team's future soon. 

With plenty of teams looking to make big moves to acquire a high end forward, the Canucks should move Miller while they can and attempt to salvage a season that is quickly going downhill.