The Vancouver Canucks trading J.T. Miller seemed inevitable but that didn't make it any less of a surprise when the deal actually came down about an hour before puck drop in Dallas.
"It just happened when we got to the rink," said Elias Pettersson after Friday's game, calling the loss of Miller "a big blow."
"We lose a skillful power forward — I mean, his play speaks for itself," added Pettersson. "All we can do now is look forward and wish him the best.”
Pettersson's relationship with Miller has been the source of national interest in recent weeks, as the rift between the two evidently became so untenable that president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford spoke publicly about it, saying that there was no "good solution that would keep this group together."
When asked about Rutherford's comments, Pettersson said, "I don't want to get into that" and preferred speaking about the positive times the two star forwards experienced together.
"I think we’ve had some really good moments," said Pettersson. "The playoffs in my second year and then the playoffs last year. He’s just a player that I think both of us made each other better.”
With Miller gone, the spotlight will shine all the brighter on Pettersson, as the pressure will be on the centre to live up to his $11.6 million cap hit and help carry the team. When asked about the increased pressure, Pettersson said he definitely feels it.
“Yeah, of course," said Pettersson. "But then, on the other side, I want that pressure. It’s up to me to take it.”
"I think he's looking forward to a fresh start"
Canucks captain Quinn Hughes was also asked about the Miller trade after the loss to the Dallas Stars.
“He’s a heck of a hockey player and I enjoyed playing with him for the six years that I had," said Hughes, who noted he was going to get another chance to play with him on Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off. "I obviously wish him the best...Right now, it doesn’t really seem real but I’m sure in the next couple of weeks, it will sink in a little bit.”
Hughes acknowledged that the amount of outside noise surrounding the rift between Miller and Pettersson has been a challenge to navigate as a captain.
“Yeah, of course. Not only myself but everyone in the organization, I think," said Hughes. "It’s just been a lot of noise and for Millsy too, it’s been a lot on him. I think he’s looking forward to a fresh start but we’re obviously going to miss him here."
Veteran defenceman Tyler Myers noted that it's "always tough" when a teammate gets traded.
"We’ve been together for five-and-a-half years here and he’s been such a big part of the room. It’s always a weird feeling. I didn’t get to see him, it happened so fast before the game," said Myers, later adding, "He held so much weight in the room, probably the most I’ve seen on any team I’ve been on."
Now Myers is hoping the team can move on and play better with no off-ice distractions.
"There was an incredible amount of unnecessary noise around all this stuff the last month or two," said Myers. "In a lot of ways, I’m glad. It’s a fresh start for both sides in terms of the noise. You always want to look forward and I wish Millsy all the best; we’ll talk a bunch.”
