Amid an ongoing conflict between two of its best players, the president of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks says he doesn’t see a future for the present squad.
In an interview with The Globe and Mail that was published on Tuesday, Jim Rutherford discussed a long-rumored argument between centers Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller.
“I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved,” he stated.
“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.”
Although the nature of the conflict between the two players is not explained in the narrative, Rutherford claimed that the drama has affected the whole Canucks team.
Before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of a grueling second-round series, Vancouver finished first in the Pacific Division the previous season.
The Canucks (22-17-10) have had trouble putting together wins or even extended stretches of play this season. The Calgary Flames, who own the second wild card berth in the Western Conference, are one point ahead of the club.
“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.
Players from the scoring pace of the previous season
This season, neither Miller nor Pettersson have shown the attacking skill they often do.
Miller has nine goals and 34 points in 39 games after scoring a career-high 103 points in the 2023–24 season.
After leaving the squad for personal reasons, the 31-year-old American missed ten games in November and the first part of December.
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