The first half of the 2024-25 Vancouver Canucks season has been wildly disappointing in more ways than one.

Not only are they teetering on the edge of the Western Conference playoff picture, but they also seem to be in turmoil with rumors of a rift between two of their best players -- J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson.

That rift has reportedly put both players on the trade market.

It is a stunning fall for a team that looked to be on the rise a year ago. Pettersson and Miller both put up huge numbers, finishing with one of the best records in the NHL.

Now the future of both players is in question, and it is entirely possible that one -- or both -- could be playing somewhere else by the trade deadline.

If the Canucks were going to move one of the two, Miller would probably be the one they prefer to move given his age (he is already into his 30s while Pettersson is still only 26 years old) and the fact his contract may not be as good of a value over the next few years. But those two factors might also make moving him more difficult, especially with a no-move clause.

While those are potential obstacles, they are not complete dealbreakers as there are always ways to make a deal work. With that in mind, let's look at potential trade destinations that might make sense for Miller.

New York Rangers

The Rangers have been the team most connected with Miller, and there are many reasons why.

The first is that the Rangers need some spark right now. They have been one of the league's most disappointing teams in the first half of the season, currently finding themselves on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They are also facing a pretty tall climb to get back into it.

They opened the season with Stanley Cup expectations and are not going to give up on this season, even if they fall short of those expectations.

Given the struggles and inconsistencies of Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers could desperately use help at center and a deal involving the two players could work in theory.

Zibanejad also has the type of contract that could be moved to make the money work in sending Miller to New York. (though it has been reported the Canucks rejected a potential Miller for Zibanejad swap earlier this season).

Miller also might be willing to waive his no-movement clause to go there given that he he started his career with the Rangers and spent parts of six seasons there.

Would a Miller trade be the most sensible move for the Rangers long-term? Maybe not. Giving up young assets or fair value to get a player on the wrong side of 30 signed to a huge, long-term contract to try and salvage a disappointing season is the type of move the Rangers made in the early 2000s, and it almost always failed.

But they seem determined to do something, and Miller could be on their radar.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins are another team like the Rangers that is underachieving this season and could use a change to its lineup.

One of the biggest weaknesses the Bruins have had the past couple of seasons, and especially after the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí, is the lack of a big-time, No. 1 center that can help drive the offense.

Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle are fine players, but they are not the type of players that can be the focal point of an offense down the middle.

They tried to add to the center depth in the offseason by signing Elias Lindholm in free agency, but he is more of what they already had at the position on a more expensive contract -- a good, but not great player.

Even though Miller is on the wrong side of 30 and has a big contract, he has been one of the most productive forwards in the NHL and would give an immediate boost to the Bruins' offense.

Chicago Blackhawks

This would be a real long shot because the Blackhawks are still in the middle of a rebuild, still years away from serious contention and still one of the NHL's worst teams this season. But Elliotte Friedman recently speculated -- and it should be emphasized this was simply his speculation and spitballing, not really a concrete rumor -- that the Blackhawks should be a team interested in a player like Miller if he is available.

The reasoning was simple -- the Blackhawks need to start building around Connor Bedard and adding talent, and as a young rebuilding team they could use a no-nonsense veteran in the locker room to bring a little fire and credibility to the group.

They also had the type of salary cap space that could take on Miller's contract, especially given the lack of big-money long-term contracts on their books.

The big question here is whether or not Miller would want to waive his no-movement clause to go be a part of a rebuilding team that is probably a few years away -- at best -- from seriously competing.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche have been trying to find another center that can complement Nathan MacKinnon and take some of the pressure off of him ever since Nazem Kadri left in free agency.

They have yet to find a perfect solution.

They made a big investment in Casey Mittelstadt in a big trade with the Buffalo Sabres, and while he is a fine player, he isn't somebody that gives them a potential impact player in the second-line spot.

A player like Miller could help fill that void.

The Avalanche should still have a potential championship window open, but they have taken a step back from where they were a couple of years ago. With Gabriel Landeskog still not back in the lineup, combined with the lack of center production after MacKinnon, they still need another big-time forward.

As of Monday, there are only four forwards on the team that have more than 17 points more than halfway through the season. They need more from the secondary lines.

The question is whether or not the Canucks would trade Miller to a team in their conference that they are currently competing for a Wild Card spot. The Canucks have reportedly not shut down the idea of trading either Miller or Pettersson within the conference, but there might be a tax for the acquiring team to pay to get the Canucks to send one of them to a conference rival.