Vancouver Canucks' J.T. Miller (9) talks to Elias Pettersson (40) before second period NHL hockey action against the Washington Capitals, in Vancouver, B.C., Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Canucks' president of hockey operations says he doesn't see a way forward for the current roster amid an ongoing rift between two of its top stars.

Jim Rutherford addressed a long-rumoured spat between centres J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson in an interview with The Globe and Mail published Tuesday.

"I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved," he said.

"But it only gets resolved for a short period of time and then it festers again and so it certainly appears like there’s not a good solution that would keep this group together."

The story does not detail what the issue is between the two players, but Rutherford said the drama has impacted the entire Canucks squad.

Vancouver finished last season atop the Pacific Division before being eliminated from the playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of a gritty second-round series.

This season, the Canucks (22-17-10) have struggled to string wins — or even solid periods — together. The team sits one point below the Calgary Flames, who hold the Western Conference's second wild card spot.

"When you don’t have chemistry, it’s hard to be that consistent team because there’s too much going on in the room for everybody to concentrate on what they’re supposed to do," Rutherford told The Globe and Mail.

Both Miller and Pettersson have lacked their usual offensive prowess this year.

After putting up a career-high 103 points in the 2023-24 campaign, Miller has amassed nine goals and 34 points in 39 games.

The 31-year-old American missed 10 games in November and early December after stepping away from the team for personal reasons.

Expectations for Pettersson were high this fall after he signed an eight-year, US$92.8-million contract last March.

The 26-year-old Swedish centre missed six games in late December and early January as he dealt with an undisclosed injury. He has 11 goals and 31 points in 43 appearances.

Trade talk has swirled around both players in recent weeks.

Rutherford acknowledged that crafting a deal involving either player ahead of the league's March 7 trade deadline will be difficult because Vancouver is unlikely to get a player of the same calibre in return.

If the Canucks do opt to make a move, they'll need to get another centre in return, plus "extra things" that could be used in the future, the president said.

"We’ll have to do the best we can in trades," Rutherford said. "Whatever assets you get in return, you may turn them into something else. And we have to work our way back into being a contending team."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025