NHL insider delivers an update on Canucks' J.T. Miller

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Cooper Godin
October 1, 2024 (11:57)

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NHL insider Frank Seravalli has provided an update on Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller.

Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller has yet to appear in any of the team's preseason games so far, which has cause a bit of concern among the fan base.

Rick Tocchet attempted to calm everyone's nerves last night, saying that they expect J.T. Miller to play on Friday in their preseason finale at Rogers Arena against the Edmonton Oilers.

On Tuesday, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff was a guest on Sekeres & Price and provided an update on J.T. Miller's status right now, saying that him not being in the lineup is out of precaution. Seravalli mentions the injuries to Patrik Laine and Drew Doughty as factors for the Canucks not having J.T. Miller in the lineup.

"So, a lot of this has been pure precaution. When I asked around about J.T. Miller yesterday, the answer I got was - did you see what happened to Drew Doughty and Patrik Laine and totally understand from a Canucks perspective why they'd feel that way, especially if that collision sort of dinged him a little bit that it's like, hey, let's take all the time we need to make sure this guy is fully healthy and ready to hit the ground running next week when the season starts. These games are utterly meaningless, it's an absolute farce that the schedule is as long as it is in the preseason with training camp that I think really everyone's just kind of holding their breath trying to get to the finish line." Seravalli said.

It makes total sense for the Canucks to take their time with Miller because at the end of the day, these preseason games don't mean anything. They want and need their best players ready to go for opening night on October 9th, including J.T. Miller, so it's going to be interesting how he's utilized on Friday against Edmonton and how many minutes he'll end up playing.

It's going to be a big season for J.T. Miller. Coming off a 103-point campaign in 2023-24, along with 12 points in 13 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the East Palestine, Ohio native is hoping to prove to everyone that last year wasn't a one-off.