Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller had little to say when asked about team president Jim Rutherford’s comments confirming the ongoing rift between him and Elias Pettersson. “I don’t have one,” Miller told reporters when asked for his thoughts on Rutherford’s remarks. The Canucks’ internal conflict, long rumored but never publicly addressed by team leadership, was finally acknowledged by Rutherford on Tuesday. Back on Dec. 22, Miller refuted the rumors about his issues with Pettersson, criticizing the media for fueling a false narrative. “I’m not (bothered by the reporting about his feud with Pettersson),” Miller said (h/t @PuckReportNHL). “Listen. You guys, in a sense, out of the outer world, have created this thing. This isn’t a thing.” J.T. Miller’s comment on Jim Rutherford’s remarks about the rift between him and Elias Pettersson “I don’t have one” pic.twitter.com/fiVGKwnWOx — Alex Daugherty (@AlexDaugherty1) January 29, 2025 In an interview with The Globe and Mail’s Gary Mason on Tuesday, Rutherford admitted that the situation between Miller and Pettersson has become untenable, saying there is “no good solution” to fix it. “I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved,” Rutherford 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 no good solution that would keep this group together.” Miller is widely considered the more likely trade candidate due to the five-year age gap between him and Pettersson. That said, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes that there still are “three possible outcomes,” meaning a single trade of either of the two, two trades, or none might happen. “We’re talking about two of our top players, certainly our two best forwards,” Rutherford said. “It can really be tough on a franchise-not only present but into the future-when you’re planning on peaking this team into a contending team and then you find out that’s not going to happen.” Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller (9) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) celebrate a goal. Bob Frid-Imagn Images Bob Frid-Imagn Images Miller, who is in the second season of a seven-year, $56 million contract, has recorded 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 40 games this season. Meanwhile, Pettersson is in the first season of his eight-year, $92.8 million deal and has scored 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 44 games. The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes were considered top suitors for Miller and Pettersson respectively, but Carolina’s recent acquisition of Mikko Rantanen has taken them out of the mix while the Canucks rejected offers from New York. The NHL trade deadline is set on Mar. 7, giving the Canucks a little over a month to find trade suitors and a proper offer before they aren’t blocked from moving their players until the summer if they can’t do so by that date.