If Pettersson thought life with Miller was difficult, just wait until he realizes how bad it will get now that there's no longer a scapegoat for his struggles, says Michael Traikos.
Two games are obviously not enough of a sample size to determine a winner and loser in the trade that sent J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers. But in this case, we’ll make an exception.
The winner is clearly Miller, who after months of drama finally gets a fresh start in New York, where he already has two goals and four points in two games.
And the loser is center Elias Pettersson, who with Miller gone suddenly has a giant bullseye on his back.
If Pettersson thought life with Miller was difficult, just wait until he realizes how bad it's going to get now that there's no longer a scapegoat for his struggles. He's already getting a taste of that.
The Canucks, which remain two points back of the final wild-card spot in the West, have struggled all season. But before last week, those struggles were often blamed on the public rift between Miller and Pettersson.
With Miller gone, there are no more excuses. There's no one left to blame. Following a pair of losses on the weekend — a 5-3 loss to Dallas and 3-2 loss to Detroit — where Pettersson combined for no goals and one assist, the Canucks' new No. 1 center is already feeling the heat.
"Yeah, of course," Pettersson, who has 11 goals and 33 points this season, told reporters on Friday when asked about the increased pressure he will experience moving forward. "To be honest, I want that pressure. It's up to me to take it."
Be careful what you wish for. Pettersson may want the pressure, but does he want everything that goes with it? Yes, Miller is no longer standing in Pettersson's way. But Miller is also not helping to shoulder the expectations.
There's now only one place to look to when something goes wrong.
Lose a game? It's Petey's fault. Fail to make the playoffs? It's Petey's fault.
Like it or not, Pettersson now has the weight of the franchise on his back. Forget about making the playoffs. Anything short of winning a Stanley Cup — much less going deeper than the Rangers in the post-season — and you know where fans will launch their displeasure.
It's already happening. Following the pair of losses to Dallas and Detroit on the weekend, fans were already asking if the Canucks traded the wrong guy.
“Was J.T. Miller really the problem?” posted @millerthegoat9 on X.
“Can we request a refund on the Miller trade?” wrote @wiley_canuck on X.
The Canucks are now Pettersson’s team — if not his problem. He not only has to show that he is better than Miller but also that he alone is better than the combination of Miller and Pettersson.
That's a difficult task. But Pettersson brought this on himself. And now that he did, he has to show that he's capable of being the superstar he showed glimpses of becoming when he scored 39 goals and 102 points in 2022-23. Who knows, maybe the Canucks will become a better team with Miller gone.
But anything short of winning a Stanley Cup, and we know where fans will point their arrows.
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