The Rangers have been chatting with the Canucks about possibly trading for J.T. Miller, according to a source from The Athletic.
New York’s general manager, Chris Drury, is eager to make changes after putting key players like Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider on the trade list. The team has lost four games in a row, and their performance numbers are worrying. Drury wants to avoid last year’s top team missing out on the playoffs this time.
Despite slipping into a wild-card position, the Rangers still have some breathing room with games in hand against teams ahead of them. Their current pace suggests they might end up with 98 points, down from 114 last season. There’s a 29% chance they won’t make it to the playoffs, according to The Athletic. Fans might think it’s risky but exciting! To bring Miller back home could mean trading Mika Zibanejad or another player. Yet, it’s tricky since Miller’s contract runs until 2029-30 at $8M per year and Zibanejad’s deal is similar but includes a no-movement clause.
Trade Challenges:
Miller also has a no-move clause in his Vancouver contract, making things more complicated. He’s scored six goals and collected 16 points in 17 games this season but is currently taking personal leave . Even though he’s not playing his best since the 2020-21 season, he’d still be an upgrade over Zibanejad’s struggles this year.
Zibanejad hasn’t been much help lately with only four goals in 21 games and poor stats like his worst-ever possession numbers—42.8 CF% and 40.9 xGF%. It’s unlikely that Drury’s initial talks will lead to an immediate trade for Miller; however, it probably won’t be his last attempt this season.
Miller’s History:
The Rangers had their eyes on Miller during the trade deadline back in 2022 when he was about to become an unrestricted free agent but ended up staying with Vancouver instead after signing an extension there. Drafted by New York as the 15th pick overall in 2011, he netted impressive numbers—72 goals along with assists totaling up over three hundred points across several seasons before moving first onto Tampa Bay then eventually joining forces within British Columbia where once again became prolific scorer posting point-per-game averages throughout most campaigns played thus far!
What do you think? Should they go for it?
