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J.T. Miller

Rangers Name J.T. Miller Captain

September 16, 2025 at 8:09 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 9 Comments

After parting ways with their previous captain via trade, the Rangers have found their new one the same way. J.T. Miller will wear the “C” for New York this season after last year’s midseason pickup, Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic relays.

Miller, 32, will be the 29th captain in franchise history as he begins his first full season in his second stint with the team. He’ll be just their second captain since 2018. The team went without one for over four years after trading away Ryan McDonagh at the deadline before anointing Jacob Trouba ahead of the 2022-23 season. They’d spent the last nine months with the position vacant after dealing Trouba to the Ducks in December.

“Since his arrival last season, J.T. immediately became a leader for our group and exemplifies how we want to conduct ourselves both on and off the ice,” general manager Chris Drury said. “Congratulations to J.T. and his entire family on an incredibly meaningful achievement and we’re confident he will continue to represent our organization with class, commitment, and integrity.”

Miller, a first-round pick by the Blueshirts back in 2011, looked rejuvenated after they re-acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Canucks in January. After three straight seasons with Vancouver above a point per game, he dipped back below the mark to start the season amid a leave of absence and a reported feud with fellow star forward Elias Pettersson. But after being put in the middle of a unit with William Cuylle and Mika Zibanejad in Manhattan, Miller finished the year with a 13-22–35 line in 32 appearances while recording 76 hits and winning 57.6% of his faceoffs.

The high-energy pivot will now be entrusted as the emotional focal point of the club as they enter a pivotal campaign. The club has a new head coach in Mike Sullivan and is looking for a more stable long-term outlook following a 12-month window that saw them drop from regular-season champs to missing the playoffs entirely. They’re also facing the potential loss of star winger Artemi Panarin to unrestricted free agency at the end of the year.

He isn’t the team’s only leadership change. The club also said Vincent Trocheck has been added as an alternate captain, replacing Chris Kreider, who was dealt to Anaheim earlier in the offseason. Panarin, Adam Fox, and Mika Zibanejad will continue holding ’A’s alongside him.

Image courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.

New York Rangers| Newsstand J.T. Miller

9 comments

Mika Zibanejad Embraces Move To Wing

August 20, 2025 at 7:13 pm CDT | by Paul Griser 7 Comments

For a team in transition — including a new head coach in Mike Sullivan and the trade of longtime fan-favorite Chris Kreider — the New York Rangers are also looking to determine what position former 90-point forward Mika Zibanejad will play this upcoming season.

NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reports that Zibanejad will likely start training camp as a right wing alongside center J.T. Miller. As Rosen outlines, Zibanejad and Sullivan met in the player’s native Sweden, where Zibanejad expressed both his developing chemistry with Miller and his desire to continue playing alongside him.

“As part of that conversation, one of the things he expressed to me is even though he lined up on the wing on the face-offs, he felt they were interchangeable in the sense that they could read off each other,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan added that both players are comfortable handling faceoffs regardless of their position on the ice and playing down low in the defensive zone. To that point, Zibanejad won faceoffs last season at a 52 percent clip, one of the highest marks of his career. However, that percentage pales in comparison to Miller’s 54.3 percent career win rate, which included a 57.6 percent mark last year. Both players have also established themselves as effective penalty killers with the ability to score shorthanded goals.

And while Sullivan acknowledged a desire for Zibanejad and Miller to continue building on their pre-existing chemistry, he also noted that each centering their own line, along with Vincent Trocheck, could create a solid foundation for the top three lines.

“Those are three pretty high-quality centermen,” Sullivan said. “I think it’s going to play itself out, but certainly the conversations I’ve had with Mika to this point I would envision us exploring keeping Mika with J.T.”

Zibanejad played in all 82 games last season, recording his fifth consecutive 20-goal campaign. However, his 62 points were his lowest total since the injury-shortened 2020-21 season. The 32-year-old also produced a -22 rating (the second lowest of his career), and his average ice time of 18:46 per game was his lowest since the 2017-18 season.

Zibanejad has spent nine seasons in the Big Apple and currently ranks eighth all-time in franchise history in goals (250) and points (589). He’s also tied for sixth in franchise history with 11 shorthanded goals and tied for second with seven hat tricks.

However, the forward isn’t just a franchise fixture. He continues to produce and is only two seasons removed from a 39-goal, 91-point campaign. A return to that form, whether at center or on the wing, would go a long way toward the franchise’s goal of returning to contention.

New York Rangers J.T. Miller| Mika Zibanejad| Vincent Trocheck

7 comments

East Notes: Rangers, Alexeyev, Magnusson

August 10, 2025 at 6:53 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

With most of the roster spots already set, there isn’t a lot of battles heading into training camp for the Rangers next month.  With that in mind, Larry Brooks of the New York Post believes (subscription link) that their biggest decision in camp might by on the captaincy front.  Namely, should they name one and if so, who might be the best candidate for the job?  New York went without a captain for the bulk of the season after moving Jacob Trouba to Anaheim back in December.  The Rangers have moved their last three captains within four years of them being appointed so ideally, whoever they name (if they name one) should be someone who’s going to be around for a while.  Brooks suggests J.T. Miller as a viable candidate for the role; he was acquired as a culture-changer and has five years left on his contract.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Speaking with RG’s Daria Tuboltseva, Penguins defenseman Alexander Alexeyev noted that he wasn’t surprised at being non-tendered by Washington back in June. The 25-year-old was a frequent healthy scratch last season, getting into just eight games during the regular season although he suited up more frequently in the playoffs.  With Alexeyev having arbitration rights, the Capitals knew early they’d be letting him go, informing his camp of the decision several weeks ahead of time.  Alexeyev added that he gave no consideration to returning home and playing in the KHL and instead, he signed for the league minimum with the Penguins and will look to earn a roster spot with them.
  • The Red Wings will be inviting defenseman Carl-Otto Magnusson to rookie camp next month, relays Hockey Sverige’s Rasmus Kagstrom. The 19-year-old spent last season in Frolunda’s system, playing primarily at their junior level where he had eight points in 44 games and also got into three contests in the SHL.  However, the six-foot-seven defender will suit up in North America this season after being a second-round pick by QMJHL Moncton in the CHL Import Draft.

Detroit Red Wings| New York Rangers| Pittsburgh Penguins Alexander Alexeyev| Carl-Otto Magnusson| J.T. Miller

1 comment

Avalanche Had Interest In J.T. Miller, Fielding Calls On Casey Mittelstadt

February 6, 2025 at 8:26 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 2 Comments

The Avalanche remain in the market for an upgrade at center, with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reporting Thursday they were one of the teams who submitted trade proposals to the Canucks for J.T. Miller. Their offer “never got close enough to threaten the Rangers deal,” Friedman writes. Still, he confirms a report from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff earlier in the week they’re listening to inquiries on struggling pivot Casey Mittelstadt to help facilitate an addition.

Colorado opened up a decent chunk of short-term financial flexibility when they swapped out Mikko Rantanen for Martin Nečas in last month’s blockbuster. They also managed to add some center depth in that deal by landing Jack Drury from the Hurricanes, but he doesn’t have top-six utility on a contending team. That leaves Mittelstadt, amid an underwhelming 9-23–32 scoring line in 55 games with some of the team’s worst possession impacts, as their only legitimate option to anchor the second line behind Nathan MacKinnon. His sputtering defensive play and lower volume of shots this season indicate the 26-year-old is a better fit elsewhere in the lineup or simply a better fit in another team’s system.

The Avs are hoping 20-year-old Calum Ritchie will be the long-term answer. Ritchie played seven NHL games earlier this season after a strong training camp, scoring once but posting a minus-seven rating. The 2023 first-round pick was returned to OHL Oshawa, where he leads the team with 1.83 points per game and ranks second in the league behind 2025 first-overall contender Michael Misa. He’s a top-50 prospect in the league and easily the best in the Colorado system.

But Ritchie could still need AHL adjustment time when he turns pro for good next season, and even if he doesn’t, he may be better suited for a bottom-six role out of the gate. Colorado needs a stopgap, and while they were searching for a longer-term fit in Miller, they could also look for short-term upgrades on Mittelstadt. Unfortunately, the options available to them for an in-season boost on the trade market are increasingly slim.

The only seemingly available unquestionable upgrades over Mittelstadt are the Islanders’ Brock Nelson and the Predators’ Ryan O’Reilly. There are issues with both. Despite a rash of injuries, the Isles’ recent hot streak makes it feasible for them to hold onto their pending UFA. At the same time, O’Reilly’s first tenure in Colorado ended 10 years ago with a publicly unpleasant contract saga. Nashville is treating O’Reilly like he has a no-movement clause despite not holding one in his contract, and whether the 2019 playoff MVP would be open to a return to Colorado is uncertain.

Other options available down the middle include Ryan Donato, Yanni Gourde, and Scott Laughton, but all carry risk. The latter two would be two-way upgrades over Mittelstadt, but they produce points at a lesser rate than his, which would exacerbate the Avs’ depth-scoring problem. Donato is clicking at a career-best 0.63 points per game rate with the Blackhawks but is untested in extended top-six minutes, especially at center. There’s also the Sabres’ Dylan Cozens, but he carries question marks similar to Mittelstadt’s when they acquired the latter from Buffalo at last year’s deadline.

A Mittelstadt move would likely be a separate transaction instead of Colorado leveraging him as part of an upgrade package. According to Friedman, the Devils, Maple Leafs, and Senators have “poked around” about his availability, but talks haven’t progressed past an initial stage.

Colorado Avalanche Casey Mittelstadt| J.T. Miller

2 comments

Canucks Notes: Miller, Trade Chatter, Hughes

February 3, 2025 at 9:48 am CDT | by Brennan McClain 1 Comment

In today’s episode of ’32 Thoughts’ with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Vancouver Canucks and their recent trade activity were the center of attention. Friedman originally broke the news that the Canucks were trading forward J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers on Friday night, and Friedman provided even more context to the move.

Friedman reported that a players-only meeting happened during Vancouver’s early road trip to Florida in mid-October. This meeting addressed the rift between teammates Miller and Elias Pettersson. While the Sportsnet insider did not disclose which players led the discussion, the focus was on encouraging Miller and Pettersson to improve their relationship for the team’s betterment.

Ultimately, Miller’s relationship with Pettersson didn’t significantly improve, prompting him to take a month-long leave of absence. Friedman noted that when Miller returned in mid-November, the Vancouver organization had committed to trading him at some point this year.

The news from Friedman contradicts many of the reports surrounding Miller in December. In early December, Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic reported the Canucks had publicly asserted they wouldn’t be trading Miller, and that he wouldn’t be requesting a trade from Vancouver.

As things turned out, Miller was indeed on the chopping block, being sent to the Rangers for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a protected 2025 first-round pick. Vancouver quickly moved the first-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins later that evening to acquire Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor. Friedman believes that will be the only first-round pick the Canucks will trade this season.

After last night’s overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver is 23-18-11 through 52 games and is two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Given their status as a bubble team at the moment, the Canucks’ first-round pick has a higher value than most prospective buyers as it could realistically become a lottery selection by the end of the year.

The Canucks are aware of this and have reportedly told interested teams they have no interest in moving their first-round pick unless they have a comfortable spot in the standings by the trade deadline. Vancouver traded their 2024 first-round pick to the Calgary Flames last season in the package for Elias Lindholm making it the first time since 2021 that they hadn’t made a first-round selection.

Vancouver’s position as a playoff contender may impact captain Quinn Hughes’ participation in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off starting next week. Hughes suffered a hand injury in the team’s recent game against the Dallas Stars, keeping him out of the lineup of last night’s contest. Friedman noted in his podcast that although no decision has been made, Vancouver could ask to withdraw from the tournament with Team USA to focus solely on getting healthy for their playoff run.

As arguably the team’s top defenseman, it would be a major blow to the American’s odds of winning the tournament. Still, Team USA has an easy choice for his replacement should he bow out in Washington Capitals’ blue liner, John Carlson.

4 Nations Face-Off| Injury| Team USA| Vancouver Canucks Elias Pettersson| J.T. Miller| Quinn Hughes

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Canucks Activate Kiefer Sherwood

February 2, 2025 at 5:31 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks have activated forward Kiefer Sherwood off of injured reserve. Sherwood has missed Vancouver’s last four games with an undisclosed injury. His return brings some sense to Vancouver assigning Aatu Raty and, after he cleared waivers, Phillip Di Giuseppe to the minor leagues.

Sherwood is expected to return to the lineup in Sunday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. He’ll join a lineup full of new faces, including recent trade acquisitions Marcus Pettersson, Victor Mancini, and Filip Chytil. Sherwood should maintain his role on the team’s third line despite the lineup shuffle. He’s been one of the brightest performers in Vancouver’s bottom-six, boasting 13 goals and 21 points in 47 games this season. Sherwood has also recorded a staggering 273 hits – while no other Canuck has managed even 100 (Noah Juulsen has 99). In fact, Sherwood’s lofty hit totals lead the entire NHL by nearly 80 hits – with Philadelphia’s Garnet Hathaway ranked second with 197 hits. So long as he maintains his current hit pace, Sherwood is on track to finish the season with 453 hits – which would stand as an NHL record.

Sherwood has doubled down on the role of goal-scoring wrecking-ball after recording 10 goals, 27 points, and 234 hits in 68 games with the Nashville Predators last season. He seems to be finding plenty of comfort in his first year with the Canucks, sat just seven points shy of surpassing his career-high in scoring from last year. This news sets him up to continue pursuing new scoring heights, and the hit record, in a Canucks roster with plenty of minutes opened up by the trading of top forward scorer J.T. Miller.

Injury| NHL| Transactions| Vancouver Canucks Aatu Raty| Filip Chytil| Garnet Hathaway| J.T. Miller| Kiefer Sherwood| Marcus Pettersson| Noah Juulsen| Victor Mancini

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Rangers Acquire J.T. Miller From Canucks

January 31, 2025 at 8:05 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 42 Comments

Trade discussions between the Rangers and Canucks regarding J.T. Miller have been off and on in recent weeks but a deal is now complete.  Per announcements from both teams, New York has acquired Miller along with defensemen Erik Brannstrom and Jackson Dorrington from Vancouver in exchange for center Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini, and a protected 2025 first-round pick.  The pick is protected in the top-13 this year and if it doesn’t convey this year, the Canucks will instead receive New York’s unprotected 2026 first-rounder.  Structuring the pick like that will encumber the Rangers from moving that 2026 selection in another trade later on.

Miller waived his no-move protection to facilitate the swap, ending what had been a rocky last several weeks for the 31-year-old.  There has been speculation of an internal rift between Miller and center Elias Pettersson, something that team president Jim Rutherford confirmed earlier this week. As a result, Vancouver has been engaging in trade discussions involving both players for quite some time now.

Miller returns to his first NHL team with the Rangers having drafted him 15th overall back in 2011.  He spent parts of six seasons with them, recording 172 points in 341 games before being moved to Tampa Bay in 2018.  He spent parts of two years with them before Vancouver acquired Miller in the 2019 offseason and since then, his career has taken off.

After only recording more than 60 points just once in his career before joining Vancouver, Miller surpassed the point per game mark in four of his first five seasons with them; the only time he didn’t reach at least 70 points was the shortened 2020-21 campaign.  Along the way, he signed a seven-year, $56MM contract that runs through the 2029-30 campaign, meaning New York will be adding another pricey contract to their books with an $8MM AAV; Daily Faceoff’s Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that Vancouver is not retaining salary on Miller’s contract.

But things haven’t gone quite so well for Miller this season.  His offensive numbers – though still respectable – are down as he has nine goals and 26 assists in 40 games so far.  He has just three tallies in his last 24 outings, however, and two of those came in one game.  That drop in performance certainly didn’t help his trade value which likely contributed to the delay in getting this done.

Even with the drop-off in performance this year, Miller will still represent a sizable upgrade on Chytil in terms of role and production.  He’ll give them a third veteran presence down the middle behind Mika Zibanejad, a duo that will be around for a while as Zibanejad is also inked through the 2029-30 campaign.  Vincent Trocheck is also in the mix, signed through the 2028-29 season so they now have plenty of stability at that position for the foreseeable future.

As for the other pieces heading to New York, Brannstrom was once a highly-touted prospect after being a first-round pick for Vegas back in 2017.  However, his offensive game – his calling card growing up – hasn’t quite materialized in the pros and he has bounced around since then; this will be his third team of the season after spending training camp with Colorado before being moved to Vancouver.  Brannstrom has eight points in 28 NHL games this year but cleared waivers earlier this month and had been with AHL Abbotsford before the swap.  The 25-year-old has a $900K cap hit (which wouldn’t count against the cap if he remains in the minors for New York) and will be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights this summer.

Dorrington, meanwhile, was a sixth-round pick by Vancouver in 2022, going 176th overall.  He has spent the past three seasons at Northeastern University and has 10 points in 23 games for the Huskies in 2024-25.  Dorrington will have one year of college eligibility remaining after this season so he could be a near-term addition to New York’s farm system.

Chytil is the headliner of the swap for the Canucks in terms of the players they’re getting back.  The 25-year-old was originally expected to be part of New York’s long-term plans down the middle after they made him the 21st pick in 2017.  However, Chytil has dealt with considerable concussion issues throughout his career which has caused him to miss significant time, including 72 games just last season.

However, Chytil isn’t too far removed from his best offensive season when he collected 22 goals and 23 assists in 72 games back in 2022-23, solid second-line production.  He’s not too far off that pace this year either as he has 11 goals and nine helpers through 41 appearances.  He’s averaging less than 15 minutes a game this season but if he lands on the second line behind Pettersson, it’s possible that Chytil could be in line for a bit of a bigger role with his new team.  For his career, he has 164 points in 378 games.

Vancouver will be taking on a multi-year commitment with Chytil as well although he isn’t signed quite as long as Miller.  He has a $4.4375MM cap charge on his contract through the 2026-27 season and will be an unrestricted free agent at its expiration.  Accordingly, a big portion of this trade for the Canucks will be some increased salary cap flexibility moving forward.

As for Mancini, the 22-year-old is in the first season of his entry-level contract after wrapping up his college career last season.  He has played in 15 games with the Rangers this year, picking up a goal and four assists in a little over 15 minutes a night before being sent back to AHL Hartford last month to get more playing time.  In 23 games with the Wolf Pack, he has three goals and seven assists.  If he isn’t recalled directly to Vancouver, Mancini stands to be one of their top recall options whenever injuries arise.

From a salary cap perspective, the Rangers still have ample cap space to work with as PuckPedia puts them with a little over $3.5MM in projected cap room thanks to their early-season trade of Jacob Trouba.  Meanwhile, PuckPedia pegs Vancouver with a little less than $2.7MM in space which gives them some breathing room to try to bank some extra flexibility between now and the trade deadline to try to add to their roster and turn around their recent struggles.

For the production and role that Miller has had for most of his time with Vancouver, this return is on the low side but the internal rift clearly became too much, resulting in the Canucks taking a below-market return.  Nonetheless, if Chytil can do well with his new team and the Canucks properly use their extra draft, prospect, and cap capital, they could still come out of this in decent shape.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman first reported that talks between the two sides about Miller were intensifying and was first with Brannstrom and Dorrington’s inclusions.  TSN’s Farhan Lalji originally reported Chytil being in the swap.  Larry Brooks of the New York Post was first with the details on the pick protection.

Photos courtesy of Imagn Images.

New York Rangers| Newsstand| Transactions| Vancouver Canucks Erik Brannstrom| Filip Chytil| J.T. Miller| Jackson Dorrington| Victor Mancini

42 comments

Canucks President Confirms Internal Rift

January 28, 2025 at 7:18 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski 14 Comments

Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford told the media today that there doesn’t appear to be a way forward with the current roster and the ongoing issues between forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson (as per Gary Mason of The Globe and Mail).

Rutherford told Mason that everyone involved in the situation has tried to work on a solution, including Pettersson and Miller, but whenever the group reaches a resolution, the issues reappear, and the rift grows.

No specific details are mentioned about what is the issue between the two players; Rutherford does say that the issue has had an impact on their entire locker room. Rutherford believes that the issues have impacted the Canucks ability to remain consistent, evidenced by their inability to put a string of wins together. After winning the Pacific Division last season, Vancouver came into the season with sky-high expectations but has stumbled to a 22-17-10 record.

Individually, both Miller and Pettersson have been impacted on the ice as their offensive numbers have taken a severe hit this season. Pettersson has just 11 goals and 20 assists in 43 games, which is well off the career-high 102 points he put up two seasons ago or even the 89 points he managed last year. Miller, on the other hand, has totalled nine goals and 25 assists in 39 games, which falls well below last year’s career year of 37 goals and 66 assists.

The trade talk around both players has been going on for quite some time but it has intensified in recent weeks. The Canucks are unlikely to get equal value on a one-for-one trade of either player, which Rutherford concedes in the interview. He believes the Canucks will have to take whatever assets they can accumulate and turn them into something else. Those words would lead one to believe that Vancouver intends to try and get back into Stanley Cup contention whenever this situation is resolved.

Jim Rutherford| Vancouver Canucks Elias Pettersson| J.T. Miller

14 comments

Fallout From The Mikko Rantanen Trade

January 25, 2025 at 4:54 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 18 Comments

After one of the biggest in-season acquisitions since the New Jersey Devils acquired Ilya Kovalchuk for a massive haul in the 2009-10 season, more information has begun trickling out regarding Mikko Rantanen and the Carolina Hurricanes.

In an article in The Athletic (Subscription Required), Pierre LeBrun explains that only a few teams knew Rantanen was available. LeBrun indicates that Colorado’s first intention was to extend Mikko, but general manager Chris MacFarland had already called a few teams, saying they may call back about the Finnish sniper. 

Extension talks between Rantanen and the Avalanche had increased over the last few weeks. However, the ’Nathan MacKinnon-internal cap’ gave MacFarland the sense that Mikko wouldn’t sign an extension in the next five months. LeBrun believes Rantanen would have taken less money than Leon Draisaitl received from the Edmonton Oilers ($14MM) but wasn’t willing to make such a drastic cut that he made less than MacKinnon’s $12.6MM salary.

Unsurprisingly, Cory Lavalette from the North State Journal reports the Hurricanes have already had preliminary extension discussions with Rantanen’s agent. Given their history together on Team Finland, Rantanen is already familiar with Sebastian Aho, but he’ll want to get comfortable in Carolina before talks can progress.

As far as what that hypothetical extension may look like — Harman Dayal took a stab at that in a recent article on The Athletic (Subscription Required). Dayal argues that Rantanen’s fairest comparable is Boston Bruins’ forward David Pastrňák who was given 13.5% of the salary cap for the first year of his current contract.

Assuming the salary cap increases to the reported $97 million for next season, that would place Rantanen around the $13.1 million range. It’s already been made clear that Rantanen and his agent have other ideas, as he and the Avalanche likely could have worked out an agreeable salary should that have been the starting point.

Lastly, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman offered some insight regarding the main piece heading back to Colorado — Martin Nečas. Friedman asserts that the Avalanche were not the only team Nečas had been offered to. He believes Nečas was a part of recent trade discussions with the Vancouver Canucks for Elias Pettersson, but not for J.T. Miller.

The acquisition of Rantanen and Taylor Hall likely wraps up all of the headling-making trades for the Hurricanes. Still, despite the cap surgery required for the move, the Hurricanes could circle back on Miller if the Canucks are open to other players on Carolina’s roster.

Carolina Hurricanes| Colorado Avalanche Elias Pettersson| J.T. Miller| Martin Necas| Mikko Rantanen

18 comments

J.T. Miller Receiving Interest From Additional Eastern Conference Teams

January 20, 2025 at 1:50 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 17 Comments

Canucks center J.T. Miller remains in Vancouver for now after a reported trade to the Rangers fell through over the weekend. That deal never got close enough for the Canucks to ask Miller to waive his no-movement clause, multiple members of The Athletic’s NHL staff reported Monday, but it did potentially involve New York sending young top-nine center Filip Chytil, pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Ryan Lindgren, and multiple “future-focused assets” to Vancouver.

A disagreement on the conditions around the prospective first-round pick was the principal reason the deal fell apart, per The Athletic’s report. It doesn’t mean the Blueshirts are out of the running on Miller entirely, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet told CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal on Monday that the Rangers and Hurricanes are the two likeliest parties to land Miller, who prefers a trade to the Eastern United States. Friedman mentioned the Stars, Devils, and Islanders as interested but less probable outcomes.

If the reported return for the now-nixed trade is a strong blueprint for other potential Miller deals, though, it signals a continued rocky path for the Canucks down the stretch. The total value of what they’re getting isn’t bad – they need short-term help on the blue line, Chytil still has top-six potential when healthy, and the first-round pick will likely be in the teens – but it doesn’t give them a direct replacement for the near point-per-game Miller.

Even amid a down year for J.T. and time missed due to personal leave, he leads Canucks forwards in scoring with 31 points (8 G, 23 A) in 35 games. That’s below expectations, considering he’d averaged 96 points per 82 games over the prior three seasons, but still elite-level production that’s due for a rebound. His 11.8% shooting rate stands as his lowest in 10 years.

If Carolina wins out with a similar return, it would seemingly involve 24-year-old pivot Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who the Canucks demonstrated interest in acquiring when they nearly dealt Elias Pettersson to the Hurricanes last season. He’s likely a lower-value pickup than Chytil, with an iffy $4.82MM cap hit running through 2030 and just 19 points in 46 games this season. The Canes could easily make up for that by giving Vancouver a higher-value defenseman in return than the Rangers can with Lindgren, though.

Carolina Hurricanes| New York Rangers| Vancouver Canucks Filip Chytil| J.T. Miller| Ryan Lindgren

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