Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast on the Connor McDavid Has a Mean Streak episode, on the Vancouver Canucks, J.T. Miller situation and where things are at with the New York Rangers.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Friedman: “…. And, you know, they, they’ve had two really bad losses in a row. So after that game, you know, there was also the point where, you know, (coach Rick) Tocchet went down to Miller, and Miller went down to the other end of the bench, and it just looked all bad.
And, you know, there’s been a lot of conversation, and obviously I’ve been part of it too, about the whole Miller – Pettersson relationship. At that point, after that game on Thursday night, I don’t think it had anything to do with the two players. I think it had everything to do with an overall frustration with how everything was going. And I think the Canucks made a real effort to say, we’re doing this, we’re doing this, and we’re getting this done.
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Now, I’d heard that Miller had asked for a trade, but had finally said, ‘Just get me out of here.’ But that was denied to me. And I think as a couple people just said to me, like, everybody knows what’s going on here, and they’re just they’re trying to work to get something done. But a specific trade request, that was denied to me by several people.
But I think there was a point on Friday where it looked like with the Rangers it was close. And Miller was told it was close. And on Saturday morning, when I woke up in Canmore (British Columbia), I had messages to check on this, because I don’t think Miller was playing tonight. And then something happened, and I don’t know if it was on Friday night. I don’t know if it was on Saturday morning. But after the morning skate on Saturday, there was no inclination he wasn’t going to play. I waited all day. It never changed. Obviously, he played, and he played a great game. He was one of Vancouver’s best players.
I think they had something going with the Rangers, and I think it fell apart. And I don’t know, I have some theories, but I just don’t have enough proof. I don’t think Miller vetoed it. I just for whatever reason, I just don’t think it got to the finish line.
But any time a team goes to a player or an agent or whoever. But a lot of people knew there was a chance he wasn’t going to play. Then, whenever a team goes and does that, they think it’s close. And I had several people who told me they thought it was close.
And again, I think it was the Rangers. Now there’s been a lot of names thrown around. I don’t think it was (Mika) Zibanejad vetoing it. I don’t believe that’s the case. I think that, that was something, I think he came up a long time ago, and I just don’t think that’s something that interests Vancouver. I don’t think it was (Braden) Schneider. I think the Canucks have asked about him several times before and can’t get him. And, I could always be wrong, but I don’t think it’s (Alexis) Lafreniere either. I know his name has been thrown around. I just, I don’t think in this case, it was him.
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I think it was simply a situation where the Canucks were like, ‘We would like to do this,’ and it just didn’t get done for reasons I can’t confirm at this time. This doesn’t make me think that any attempt to trade with the Rangers is dead. I don’t know that, but all I know is that right now, there’s nothing as of Sunday night when we recorded this, imminent.”
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