After weeks of trade speculation surrounding forward JT Miller, the Vancouver Canucks have dealt him to the New York Rangers for his second stint with the franchise. Miller, who tallied 103 points last season, spent the first six years of his career in New York.
In addition to Miller, the Rangers also received defenseman Erik Brannstrom and prospect Jack Dorrington. In exchange for Miller, the Canucks received forward Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini and a conditional 2025 first-round draft pick.
The trade rumors swirling around Miller only grew louder as his feud with now former teammate Elias Pettersson became more public. Like most of the Canucks, Miller was in the midst of a disappointing season with nine goals and 26 assists in 40 games, but he’s shown the ability to produce at an elite level.
In the three prior seasons combined, Miller ranked ninth in the NHL in assists (183) and 10th in points (284).
Miller, 30, was originally drafted by the Rangers in the 2011 NHL Draft. Miller spent five full seasons with the organization, and he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the middle of the 2017-18 campaign. The veteran forward tallied 72 goals and 100 assists in his first stint with the Rangers, and now he’ll get the chance to pile up more numbers with the team.
The Rangers have had an uneven season to this point, and they’re currently five points out of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Bringing in Miller should give them a dynamic playmaking ability that they’ve lacked for most of the year, and it’s clear general manager Chris Drury thinks his team can go on a run down the stretch.
Miller still has five seasons remaining on his contract at $8 million per year, and the Canucks won’t retain any of that money, which is a key part of the deal. Vancouver was able to create salary cap space if it wants to add another player in hopes of filling the void left by Miller.
Chytil, who carries a $4.43 million cap hit, will bring some speed to the Vancouver lineup. He has 11 goals and nine assists, and he’s totaled 75 goals and 89 assists in 378 career games.
The Canucks are also fighting for a playoff berth, and they’re one point out of the final wild card spot in the West. Dealing Miller won’t make reaching the postseason any easier, but the cap space and the first-round pick does give general manager Patrik Allvin some ammo to make another move.
