Friedman links J.T. Miller to the Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to be one of the busier teams at the trade deadline, especially with Jake Muzzin now reportedly out indefinitely.
The Leafs have been linked to at least six players who are expected to be available at the deadline, but during the first intermission of the Leafs/Blue Jackets coverage on Sportsnet Ontario on Tuesday Elliotte Friedman dropped a bombshell stating that he likes J.T. Miller to Toronto.
This is the first time to my knowledge that anyone credible has linked Miller to the Leafs, but this one makes sense for a multitude of reasons. Miller is a top six left winger who can also play center if needed. He's competitive, he has great hands, he's feisty and he is a pain in the ass to play against - which is what you want in the playoffs.
The Vancouver Canucks are rumoured to be asking for at least 3 pieces for Miller, including a 1st round pick, a top prospect and an additional pick or prospect.
The only issue here is that a recent report had suggested that the Canucks were entertaining the idea of keeping Miller and instead trading Brock Boeser. It could be posturing to drive the price up on Miller, but Boeser's contract status does raise some possible alarms.
Boeser is a pending RFA with arbitration rights, making just under $6M per season. If Boeser wants to, he can take his qualifying offer and become a UFA in the summer of 2023 and sign anywhere he pleases.
Getting back to Miller, if the Leafs can find a way to make the money work, Miller checks a lot of boxes for the Buds. That said, defense should still be the first priority.
