PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The price for a likely farfetched return home via trade increased after a weekly honor for Pittsburgh-area native JT Miller.
The Vancouver forward named the NHL’s Second Star of the week following two goals and six assists in three games, all wins. Miller started with a pair of assists in a win over Seattle. Then two goals and two assists as the Canucks ended Calgary’s 10-game winning streak. He closed out the week with two assists against the team that drafted him 15th overall, beating the Rangers 5-2.
The Rangers are one of a number of teams interested in Miller. The 28-year-old, soon to be 29, is making $5.25 million and has one year left on the contract. He’s having an incredible year with 59 points (20 goals, 39 assists) in 52 games, already the second-highest point total of his career.
Along with a return to New York, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun says the Flames and Boston are potential landing spots. The price would be high, three to four legit prospects. A potential for a combination of prospects and first and second round picks is also possible.
The Maple Leafs, Colorado, Minnesota and Florida are other teams rumored to have interest in Miller, who is the highest drafted Pittsburgh-area player ever. The thought of a return to where he started playing hockey is probably high fantasy.
The Pens have upper draft picks to trade, but likely in the second-half of the first round. What prospects does the team really have to trade?
22-year-old defenseman PO Joseph, acquired in the Phil Kessel trade. He has 28 points in 40 games in the AHL this season. He is the closest thing the team has to an NHL-ready player. Joseph would be insurance to Kris Letang signing elsewhere in free agency.
22-year-old Valtteri Puustinen is the highest scoring forward with the WBS Penguins with 33 points. That’s tied for 56th in the AHL in scoring. The 5’9” winger is in his first year in North American professional hockey.
21-year-old forward Sam Poulin is a number one pick from 2019 with only six goals and 15 assists in 46 games. He is 6’1”, 208-pounds, but is 255th in the AHL in goals and a minus 10 on the season.
Miller has been traded twice already in his career. Sent to Tampa Bay in 2018 in a salary dump move and then to Vancouver in the off-season in 2019.
Three seasons in Miller’s career, he was an iron man playing in all 82 games. His highest point total came in his first full season with Vancouver in 2019-20 with 27 goals and 45 assists.