Latest J.T. Miller Rumors Have New Jersey Devils Going Down Dangerous Path
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils have been tied to all of the big names on the market this offseason. Tom Fitzgerald said he’s willing to spend big assets to get big names to New Jersey. That has every fanbase and rumor monger saying that the Devils will spend their most insanely good assets to bring said players in the door. The latest rumors are tied to J.T. Miller. The 29-year-old forward is coming off a tremendous season, and the Vancouver Canucks have been allowing teams to make offers on him since this past trade deadline.
The issue with Miller is he’s about to cash out huge, he will be over 30 when the new deal starts, and he’s going to ask for an insane deal. On top of that, the Canucks are going to ask for everything the Devils don’t consider untouchable. That includes Alex Holtz, Dawson Mercer, Jesper Bratt, Damon Severson, the second-overall pick, and their unprotected 2023 first-round pick.
It sounds like it’s going to cost the Devils two of these premium assets to make a deal with the Canucks work. So we’re talking about Alex Holtz AND the second-overall pick. We’re talking about Jesper Bratt AND their 2023 first rounder. We’re talking about two premium assets for a player who is coming off his best season ever.
The Canucks traded for Miller in 2019, sending a first-round pick that eventually went to the Devils in the Blake Coleman deal. Miller has grown into a phenomenal player since joining the Canucks. He had 72 points in 69 games in his first season there. Last year, he had 99 points.
He’s definitely a player the Devils would like but are they willing to pay the price to keep him here? This is insane in terms of assets given up and the price they’d have to pay on an extension. Then there’s the possibility he might not come with an extension. Is Miller really willing to just sign on for the long term with the Devils after they’ve had years of insufficient results?
On top of that, who are the Devils really competing with? Are the Rangers really going to make this move? How can they afford him going beyond this season? What other team might be in on Miller that could afford that price AND an extension? It’s likely no other team. Are the Canucks wiley enough to get the Devils to compete with themselves?
dark. Next. Shane Wright A Realistic Option For Devils
There seem to be too many question marks for this deal to really work. Miller is on a different timeline than the Devils, he can get to a team that’s looking to win, and the Devils seem better suited to keep the assets involved. It seems like a combination of Alex Holtz and Juraj Slafkovsky would be better to eventually get the Devils a Stanley Cup than Miller would. Miller is a great player, but the price and fit don’t make a ton of sense.