For the second consecutive week, the NHL stole Friday night headlines with a blockbuster trade. This time around it was the New York Rangers who made waves by acquiring forward J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks.
Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury officially announced the trade in the late evening hours.
In addition to Miller, the Rangers also received defensemen Erik Brannstrom and Jackson Dorrington from the Vancouver in exchange for defenseman Victor Mancini, forward Filip Chytil, and a conditional first round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The 31-year-old Miller was originally drafted by the Rangers in 2011 with the 15th overall pick. He broke into the NHL during the 2012 season and remained with New York until 2018 when he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was then traded to the Canucks in 2019.
In 40 games this season, Miller has recorded nine goals and 26 assists for 35 points, which was ranked second on the team. His 58.6 faceoff percentage is also good for seventh-best in the league.
Although the trade is a splash, it should come as little surprise. Miller had been the subject of trade rumors after Canucks president Jim Rutherford confirmed reports that Miller had clashed with center Elias Pettersson.
“I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved,” Rutherford told The Globe and Mail earlier this week. “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 expected to suit up for the Rangers on Saturday when they face off against the Boston Bruins.
