NHL
By Shayna Goldman, Harman Dayal and Corey Pronman
New York Rangers get: F J.T. Miller, D Erik Brännström, D Jackson Dorrington
Vancouver Canucks get: F Filip Chytil, D Victor Mancini, 2025 first-round pick (top-13 protected)
Shayna Goldman: Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford did set the stage for a more underwhelming return earlier this week, so this isn’t entirely surprising. The bad news for Vancouver is pretty obvious. The Canucks didn’t get maximum value back for Miller, even after a monster 2023-24 season. Two-way inconsistencies crept back into this game this year and the noise off the ice tanked his value. Factor in Miller’s no-movement clause, and it’s understandable how Vancouver got here. The situation went from bad to worse for the Canucks, and the team just needs to find a way forward.
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The return isn’t what it should be for the Canucks, but there are highlights. Chytil is a talented center. He adds a lot of pop to a lineup with his speed, play in transition and overall scoring chance contributions. Chytil’s path to the 2C position has been blocked over the years in New York, but he should have a lot of opportunity to thrive with the Canucks. The problem with Chytil is that a lot of that hinges on his health, and his history with head injuries is legitimately concerning.
Mancini definitely has some potential. He impressed in preseason and earned a spot on the NHL roster to start the year. Readiness is the big question, because he eventually looked overwhelmed by his role with the Rangers — the team around him had something to do with it, though.
The first-round pick adds more intrigue. If the Canucks want to quickly retool, that’s going to be a valuable trade asset. And now with some cap flexibility without Miller’s salary, there are more outlets to shape this team into a contender.
Miller fits the meat-and-potatoes vibe that the Rangers seem to be going for, and has shown a superstar ceiling in the past. But is he the answer to their problems? It really depends on which version of the player is coming back to New York. If it’s the Miller of the second half of 2023-24, who drove the Canucks’ second line, thrived in tough matchup minutes against the opponents’ best and brought a ton of energy, the Rangers are in luck. Top-six centers who can score upwards of 100 points don’t grow on trees — or at least, they haven’t in New York in some time. But if he continues to get dragged down by his environment and doesn’t put enough defensive effort in, it will only amplify what has ailed the team all year.
There’s a middle ground, where Miller is an empty-calorie scorer that is a bit too dependent on power-play production. That wouldn’t exactly thread the needle, considering the Rangers five-on-five struggles, but it’s obviously not the worst outcome.
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The cost of acquisition smooths this out for the Rangers, and so does the addition of Brännström, who has some untapped potential to explore. But there’s still risk here. On paper, Miller is a soon-to-be 32-year-old who brings another clunky contract to New York. The Rangers likely won’t miraculously snap their fingers and turn back into a contender with this deal. If Miller doesn’t find his game with a new team, the Rangers are going to be in a similar situation that they are already in with their core forwards.
Rangers grade: B-
Canucks grade: C+
Harman Dayal: This is a high-risk, high-reward trade for both sides.
For the Rangers, this comes down to what version of Miller they’re going to get. Miller has been an excellent player for the Canucks through six seasons, but he’s alternated between two different versions of himself. The apex version of Miller is an elite talent. It’s what the Canucks got from him during his 103-point campaign last year, his 99-point season in 2021-22 and his 86-point pace in 2019-20. This version of Miller is a rare, unique beast. He’ll operate with the vision and setup ability of an elite playmaker, the brute physicality of a throwback power forward and a competitive, high-motor, two-way style you can trust to defend against top lines. Miller is a tantalizing blend of skill and toughness, the type of player who can drag a team into the fight.
Miller has also had three “down” seasons in Vancouver. This version of Miller is still a very productive player, clicking at closer to a 70-75-point pace, but looks more like an empty-calorie scorer. This is when Miller can run into troubles with turnovers and lackadaisical defensive breakdowns. He won’t drive play with the same level of authority. His motor and urgency to move his feet without the puck can wane.
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Miller is currently in the middle of one of these “down” seasons. He’s scored 35 points in 40 games, but he’s been a mediocre five-on-five play-driver (his analytics are boosted by how often he gets to play alongside Quinn Hughes) and his defensive play has been shoddy.
The upside for New York is that it didn’t give up a lot and that Miller could give them a home run-like jolt if he regains last season’s form. However, I don’t view the Rangers as a realistic Cup contender for this season or next. And so I fear that they’re not positioned well enough right now to capitalize on Miller’s best days before his play begins declining.
The Rangers already have an aging, expensive core and there’s a risk that Miller, who turns 32 in less than two months, could become another inefficient contract. He has five years remaining after this season at an $8 million cap hit. Miller’s been a durable player throughout his career, but he’s played banged up this year, and it’s fair to wonder how well his power-forward playing style will age.
The long-term risk of having about $22 million committed to three aging, over 30 centers in Mika Zibanejad, Miller and Vincent Trocheck is really high. I’ll like this move for the Rangers a lot more if they find a way to get rid of Zibanejad’s contract in the summer.
For the Canucks, this is an underwhelming return on paper for a player of Miller’s stature.
Chytil is a polarizing asset that could make or break this deal from Vancouver’s perspective. The 25-year-old has the talent to be a quality middle-six center with the combo of his speed and skill. He’s a better player than his point totals indicate and there’s a realistic scenario where he could take a step and be a competent second-line center behind Elias Pettersson.
However, Chytil’s head injuries — he played just 10 games last season — are a huge red flag. Because of his injury risk, he may never become a consistent, impactful top-nine center.
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The Rangers’ top-13 protected 2025 first-round pick, which could flip to an unprotected 2026 first, is the most valuable asset the Canucks are getting back. I’d expect the club to use this as a trade chip before next season because they aren’t rebuilding.
Between that first-round pick, the assets they could get back from selling pending free agent Brock Boeser at the deadline and the excess cap space the Canucks will have, they’ll have the opportunity to go big-game hunting this summer. And if they strike big on the right opportunity, that will more than make up for a Miller return that seems underwhelming on paper today.
Vancouver will also be hoping that this is addition by subtraction as far as cleaning up the locker room dysfunction and public rift between Miller and Elias Pettersson. There’s a chance that alone gives Pettersson and the Canucks a boost.
Mancini, meanwhile, doesn’t have a high ceiling but has a good chance of developing into a legitimate upgrade compared to who the Canucks have iced on the right side of their third pair this season (Noah Juulsen/Vincent Desharnais).
Rangers grade: C
Canucks grade: C+
Corey Pronman: Miller is a player a lot of Rangers fans will be familiar with. I think his biggest years in Vancouver were playing a bit over his head talent-wise, but he obviously has a ton of skill and a heavy element in his game, too. I have some skepticism about how his $8 million AAV long-term contract is going to age, but in the near term, he should still be a very good top-six center for the Rangers. Does he do enough to change that they have been a mid-range team in terms of offense and elevate them back to contender status? Probably not, but he makes this offense a lot more respectable and look much more like a playoff-caliber forward group.
Dorrington is a big defenseman who skates well and is highly physical. His puck play is quite limited, but the tools are intriguing enough to be a long shot to make it to the NHL. Brännström, 25, has become an AHL/NHL tweener. His skating is high-end, but he’s not a premier puck-mover or that competitive which isn’t ideal as a smaller defenseman.
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Chytil has had some health issues in recent years but when healthy he’s a reliable regular. His skating is excellent, with the quick twitch to get by a lot of NHL defenders. I wouldn’t classify him as a game-breaker with the puck or a hard-to-play-against type, but he’s skilled and can make some plays. He’s a third-line center in the NHL on a reasonable contract for what he provides.
Mancini has progressed very well and was a surprise out of Rangers camp by making the team following a mediocre college career. Mancini is a big and mobile right-shot defender who has clear NHL athleticism. His puck-moving since he’s turned pro has been better than anticipated. I wouldn’t call him a true offensive type in the NHL, but he can create with his feet and has shown he can make a reliable first pass while defending speed and skill. He projects as a third-pair defenseman or a No. 4 if you’re a real believer.
I don’t think Vancouver fans will see a projected 3C, a mid-to-late first-round pick and a third-pair defenseman and be ecstatic about the return for someone who scored 100 points a year ago, but hanging over the trade is the fact that Miller was clearly a headache to deal with in the Canucks locker room and they lacked leverage for those reasons. Vancouver is hoping this is in part addition by subtraction. Still, it’s hard to see how the Canucks got much better, and for a team trying to win now, it’s not clear what the vision is to make that a reality with the current group and a thin farm system barring another big move.
Rangers grade: B+
Canucks grade: B-
(Photo: Jeff Vinnick / NHLI via Getty Images)
