J.T. Miller

With the 2022 NHL draft and free agency right around the corner, we're beginning to hear about some players who could potentially be on the move this summer.

One of those players is Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller, who is drawing "lots of interest," according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. The New York Rangers are reportedly among his suitors.

LeBrun noted it's "no surprise" the Rangers are interested in Miller, "especially if [they] aren't able to re-sign Andrew Copp."

"The Canucks could wait until next year's trade deadline to move him but I suspect it could get done this week if a team steps up with the package the Canucks are asking for," LeBrun reported Wednesday.

In addition, LeBrun said that "teams are delicately approaching" the Calgary Flames on Matthew Tkachuk, who is a restricted free agent.

"It goes without saying the Flames' lone intention right now is to sign Tkachuk long-term and keep him in the fold," LeBrun wrote. "But if he prefers to do a one-year deal and bring himself to UFA in a year, it puts Calgary in a brutal spot."

The news comes after TSN's Darren Dreger said on the Sekeres and Price podcast that he would be surprised if Miller wasn't moved this week. He also reported on what Vancouver might be looking for in exchange for the veteran.

"Vancouver wants good, young NHL players coming back," Dreger said. "The draft picks can be part of a package, but that can't be the motivator to closing on a deal."

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli also reported Wednesday that Miller and the Canucks remain far apart in contract extension negotiations. He is signed through the 2022-23 season at $5.25 million and is due for a solid raise.

If the two sides can't reach an agreement, it wouldn't be surprising to see Vancouver trade him for various assets.

Miller was also included in trade rumors leading up to this past season's deadline. The Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins were all linked to a move for the veteran.

The 29-year-old had a career year with the Canucks in 2021-22, tallying 32 goals and 67 assists for 99 points in 80 games. Despite his production, he has been included in rumors because Vancouver isn't close to contending for a Stanley Cup after missing the playoffs for two straight seasons.

Miller would be a solid addition to any contending team, as he's tallied 169 goals and 285 points for 454 points in 637 games. That said, New York's interest in him shouldn't come as a surprise after it reached the Eastern Conference Final last season.

In addition, Miller began his career with the Rangers, who selected him 15th overall in the 2011 draft. He spent the 2012-18 seasons in New York before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2017-18 season.

As for Tkachuk, it's unclear what his intentions are or if he wants to remain in Calgary. If he wants to move on, it would be best for the Flames to trade his RFA rights now instead of letting him walk as an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The 24-year-old has spent his entire six-year career with the Flames after they selected him sixth overall in the 2016 draft. He's tallied 152 goals and 230 assists for 382 points in 431 games and would also be a solid addition for any contending team.

That said, Tkachuk is due for a raise after having a career year in 2021-22, tallying 42 goals and 62 assists for 104 points in 82 games played. He's coming off a three-year, $21 million deal.

It's unclear which teams have expressed interest in acquiring his rights.

The Vancouver Canucks haven't made many playoff appearances in recent years. Since the start of the 2015-16 season, they have made it to the postseason only once—in 2019-20, when they were eliminated in the second round.

During the 2021-22 season, the Canucks went 40-30-12, and they were still alive in the race for a playoff berth in April. However, they ended up with 92 points and finished in 10th place in the Western Conference, five points back of the Nashville Predators, the final team in the West to get in.

Now, Vancouver heads into the offseason with decisions to make. What should the Canucks do to keep the franchise moving forward and to get back into the playoffs in the near future? At the same time, they're looking to build their team into a perennial contender that can eventually capture the Stanley Cup for the first time in its history.

There could be some trades on the horizon for Vancouver. At least that's what some recent rumors have indicated.

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, it's "open season" for the Canucks on the trade market. And while Dreger doesn't believe this constitutes a "fire sale" for the team, it could be willing to move some of its proven players this summer.

Among the potential standouts, who could be on the move? Perhaps forwards J.T. Miller and/or Brock Boeser.

"The Canucks are interested in listening," Dreger reported. "[General manager] Patrik Allvin has been very busy, but the Canucks aren’t just in the market for draft picks. They need good, young players [and] if they’re giving up NHL players in return, it’ll be a very interesting offseason for them."

Boeser is a restricted free agent this summer, so Vancouver can match any offer sheets that the 25-year-old may receive from other teams. The Canucks could also re-sign him and then see what they can get for him in the trade market, should they choose to do so.

Although Boeser has played only five full NHL seasons (all with Vancouver), he's proved to be a reliable scorer. He's collected between 45 and 55 points in each of those seasons. During the 2021-22 campaign, he had 23 goals and 23 assists in 71 games.

It took the 29-year-old Miller a bit to reach his full potential. But he had a breakout showing during the 2021-22 season (his 10th in the NHL and third with the Canucks), as he set career highs in points (99), goals (32) and assists (67).

There's only one season remaining on Miller's contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2023. So it could be beneficial for Vancouver to deal him now and get some solid players and/or draft picks in return, especially if it doesn't plan on re-signing him next offseason.

Dreger believes there would be a lot of interested suitors for Miller on the trade market.

"There isn’t a Stanley Cup playoff team (including the Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche) who wouldn’t consider Miller a good add on top of what they already have," Dreger reported.

If the Canucks are going to part with either Boeser or Miller, it would likely make more sense for it to be the latter. Miller will be turning 30 next season, and it's unknown whether he'll again produce the types of numbers he did during the 2021-22 campaign.

As for Boeser, he may still be getting better and could take his game to another level in the near future. But if Vancouver gets a big offer for him, it could be hard to turn down, especially as it still needs to add players at important positions throughout its roster.

So it makes sense that the Canucks would be open to listening to offers. And if they can get strong packages of players/picks in return, they should likely complete those deals in order to get a stronger core that can help them have sustained success moving forward.