VANCOUVER -- Patrik Allvin was asked if the Vancouver Canucks were better after the general manager traded top-line center J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers in the first of two deals on Friday night that resulted in two other players on the active roster leaving and four new players coming in.

In the first move, the Canucks shed one of the most productive players in franchise history due to locker room issues. They acquired a younger pivot and an intriguing blue-line prospect. They rented a high-value first-round pick for a couple of hours.

As the Vancouver Canucks struggled to string together wins over the past two months, the team's general manager was quietly working in the background on finding a new home for one of the club's top stars.