Welcome to the Vancouver Canucks best trades series. In this series, we at The Hockey Writers look back at the Canucks’ trading history with every NHL team and pick what we believe to be the best transaction between them and the other 31 organizations. This article focuses on their trade history with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Canucks and Lightning do not have a long history when it comes to making trades with each other. Obviously, Tampa was involved in a plethora of deals that allowed Vancouver to select Daniel Sedin with the second pick in the 1999 NHL Draft, but since that pick came from the then-Atlanta Thrashers, that trade will not be making the list. Outside of the Sedin situation, Vancouver and Tampa made two trades that benefitted the Canucks.
Canucks Acquire Dan Cloutier for Adrian Aucoin and 2001 2nd-Round Pick
On Feb. 7, 2001, the Canucks acquired goaltender Dan Cloutier for defenseman Adrian Aucoin and a 2001 second-round pick (Alexander Polushin). They were pushing for a playoff spot at the time and were looking to obtain some goaltending help to push them over the line. In the 16 regular season games Cloutier appeared in, he posted a 2.43 goals-against average (GAA) and a .894 save percentage (SV%). His efforts helped Vancouver get into the 2001 Playoffs as an eight-seed, before bowing out to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
For the next three seasons, Cloutier was the Canucks’ starting netminder, putting up solid numbers for those early 2000s teams. In those three seasons, he had a .907 SV% and a 2.37 GAA. In the regular season, he was money for the Canucks. In the postseason… that’s a different story. In the four years Vancouver made the playoffs with Cloutier in net, he had a .872 SV% and an abysmal 3.31 GAA. In short, he never performed when the lights shined the brightest. Arguably the most memorable moment of his Canucks career was the infamous goal he gave up in the 2002 Playoffs against the future-Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.
Cloutier should be remembered for his success in Vancouver, rather than his postseason failures. His name might not have the same weight as other Canucks goaltenders like Roberto Luongo or Kirk McLean, but he was an instrumental part of those early 2000s teams that helped build the future of the 2010s teams. His Canucks career came to an end in 2005-06 after tearing his ACL in a contest with the Anaheim Ducks. Vancouver then traded for Roberto Luongo in the summer of 2006 while Cloutier signed with the Kings and the rest – as they say – was history.
Canucks Acquire J.T. Miller for Marek Mazanec, 2019 3rd-round Pick, 2020 Conditional 1st-Round Pick
Despite being arguably the worst general manager in hockey at the time, Jim Benning pulled off a masterclass here, acquiring center J.T. Miller for goaltender Marek Mazanec, a 2019 third-round pick, and a 2020 conditional first-round pick. At the time, the trade was met with some questions given that Miller had only two seasons of 50-plus points and had never really been a game-changer during his time with the New York Rangers and Lightning.
All questions were soon put to bed after his first season in Vancouver, tallying 72 points (27 goals, 45 assists) in 69 games. After COVID-19 forced the season to resume in “the bubble”, Miller had himself a great postseason, putting up 18 points in 17 games as Vancouver was just one win away from making the Western Conference Final for the first time in nine seasons. His 2020-21 season was solid as well, scoring 46 points in 53 games. However, he took his play to another level in 2021-22, netting 32 goals while barely missing out on the “100 Points Club” with 99.
He took a step back last season with just 82 points in 81 games – still great production – but more often than not found himself in the headlines for the wrong reasons. A true lightning rod in every sense of the word, Miller was criticized for his antics after his incident with then-Canucks goaltender Collin Delia in a game versus the Winnipeg Jets. His effort was also questioned after not backchecking hard and being aloof in his own zone. After Rick Tocchet was named head coach of the Canucks in early 2023, those effort levels have improved and the outside noise around Miller has seemed to quiet down.
Related: Vancouver Canucks’ Best Trades with the St Louis Blues
Miller is contracted to play seven more seasons in Vancouver and has a full no-movement clause for four of those seasons. He is seen as a key figure in helping the Canucks get back to the postseason and will need to continue to produce offensively to make that happen. Off the ice, however, Miller still has work to do to fix his reputation and become a fan favorite again.
Canucks’ Best Trades With Tampa Bay
Despite Cloutier’s contributions, the winner here is obviously Miller. Say what you want about him, his on-ice production has been more than solid for the Canucks. As noted prior, he has a lot of work to do to fix his reputation with the fans and media, but if he does that while continuing to perform at a high level, this trade could go down as one of the best in Canucks history.