Something is up with the Vancouver Canucks.
The team’s use of J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson over the past two games has raised a lot of red flags. Head coach Rick Tocchet has split the pair up on the power play despite them clearly being two of the team’s best options.
Last night, the Canucks took turns using Miller and Pettersson on the top unit, never putting them together.
Head coach Rick Tocchet played coy when asked about the curious decision-making.
“We’re just trying different things right now,” he said.
The deployment has fuelled speculation of a rift between the two stars. It’s no secret that Pettersson and Miller have struggled with their relationship at times and are very different people, as they’ve admitted in past interviews.
“We’re still working at it,” said Miller to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre in 2023. “You’re not going to be BFFs with everybody, but at the same time, you come to work together. We are polar opposites in a lot of ways, but we’re working at it.”
But that was supposed to be in the past. And tensions have never been so bad that they couldn’t be on the same power-play unit. While it’s not known if that’s what’s behind the curious coaching decisions, there is not another explanation being offered up.
Last year, when the team was winning, there seemed to be no issue. This year has been a different story. The two players got into it at practice back in late October. While they dismissed it as normal competitive juices overflowing, it was notable.
Fans on social media have been quick to comment on the situation, especially after last night’s strange power-play decisions.
miller and pettersson have the opportunity to do the funniest thing possible pic.twitter.com/pHdPwEWEsi
— Vanessa (@bigsportsvan) December 19, 2024
Pettersson and Miller need to figure their shit out.
Your two best players not being able to play a single shift together is legitimately insane.
Just makes no sense, both player decided to stay in Vancouver over going elsewhere.
— Niq (@NiqhilVelji) December 19, 2024
love both Pettersson & Miller I don’t wanna see either of them go but if there is shit going on it needs to end now #Canucks
— cat ♡ (@canucksgrande) December 19, 2024
Pettersson PP unit 1
Miller PP unit 0
It’s actually genius from Tocchet to play off the feud now that everyone knows.
— Taj (@taj1944) December 19, 2024
Currently reading @willesonsports book Never Boring and getting this doomed feeling his next chapter is going to be “What if JT Miller and Elias Petterson were friends?”#vibesareoff
— Dubs (@dubs9000) December 19, 2024
It’s not just fans that are taking notice. The Canucks have reportedly been getting calls about trading Pettersson, who doesn’t have a no-movement clause until next season.
This whole situation could be squashed in a matter of days. However, with each curious decision the noise gets a bit louder, and if there is some tension which has made the two players unable to co-exist, then that is a major issue for the Canucks.