‘No, we are not trading him, we stand by him’: Canucks president Jim Rutherford on J.T Miller rumors

Vancouver Canucks president Jim Rutherford sent a clear message regarding forward J.T Miller’s future with the organization – Miller isn’t going anywhere.

Rutherford recently caught up with Patrick Johnston of The Province, and tried to do whatever he could to clear the air on Miller’s future, and put an end to rampant trade rumors surrounding his veteran forward.

“No, we are not (trading him)…We stand by him,” Rutherford said “Don’t start making stuff up on someone in his situation. That’s disrespectful. People that do this for fun, or for a living, just go back to making up trade rumours.”

Miller, 31, took an indefinite personal leave from the Canucks on Nov.19, and since, there’s been growing speculation about potential trades out of Vancouver. The two-way forward has appeared in 17 games this season, scoring six goals, and 16 points. Miller’s averaging 18:24 of ice-time per game, and continues to be a major pillar on both sides of the Canucks’ special teams. It’s become quite obvious from Rutherford’s comments, Miller’s a big part of the team now, and will continue to be once he returns from his leave of absence.

The Canucks are 13-7-4 on the season and sit tied for third in the Pacific Division. While there’s certainly been a ton of noise around Miller recently, the trade speculation gained traction when he was benched Nov.17 against the Nashville Predators, playing just under 12 minutes in the game. This was the last time Miller suited up for the Canucks, as his leave was announced just two days later.

Miller was named to the initial roster of Team USA’s 4 Nations Face-Off on Wednesday, and although it’s uncertain when he’ll be returning to the Canucks lineup, Team USA does fully expect to have Miller in the lineup when the tournament begins in February.