Just one week after the Mikko Rantanen blockbuster, the Vancouver Canucks have traded J.T. Miller, along with Erik Brannstrom and unsigned prospect Jackson Dorrington to the New York Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a protected 2025 first-round pick.
Obviously, the biggest aspect of the deal is Miller, and the reported feud between him and Elias Pettersson has come to an end. The Rangers, while currently outside of the playoff picture, brought in Miller to try and propel their season back in the right direction.
Canucks Finally Make A Move
It isn’t very often an issue between two players is as public as what the Canucks have been dealing with. There are some reports that this feud has gone back multiple seasons, and while both Miller and Pettersson have done very well at times in that span, it has boiled over this season and caused a dramatic decrease in team performance.
So, outside of the fact that the Canucks had to move one of the players, Jim Rutherford’s comments to The Globe and Mail didn’t help regain any leverage by being blunt about the issues. (from No good solution in rift between Canucks teammates Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, Rutherford says, The Globe and Mail, Jan. 28, 2025).
Moving out Brannstrom is another underrated piece of this move. While head coach Rick Tocchet wasn’t using him often, through 28 games, Brannstrom scored eight points, and behind Quinn Hughes, was the next-best puck-moving defenseman, which the Canucks need more of.
Related: Canucks Trade J.T. Miller to Rangers for Filip Chytil
Bringing in Filip Chytil gives the Canucks a center back in the deal, which was important for them. While Chytil isn’t the same caliber of player as Miller, he will provide good depth for the Canucks. He set a career-high of 45 points in 2022-23 and is on track for 40 this season. Chytil can be a gritty, hard-battling center, but considering his history with concussions and other injuries, he could be a risky addition for the Canucks.
Victor Mancini is a 22-year-old defensive prospect, and while he has shown to be a good depth piece, especially in the 2024-25 preseason, he isn’t a sure-fire bet to be an NHL player. He is a big, physical defenseman who skates well and can move the puck, but his defense isn’t as good as a coach like Tocchet would probably like to see.
The first-round pick is top-13 protected, so if it does fall into the top 13 picks of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, it will be transferred to an unprotected 2026 first-round pick.
Considering the Canucks’ position, the publicity of the issues, and everything else, they certainly could have done worse in this trade. With that being said, Miller has earned votes for the Selke and Hart Trophy in each of the last three seasons. He can be a strong two-way center with 100-point upside. Trading him and bringing back a first-round pick.
Canucks Grade: C-
Rangers Bring In Top Center For Playoff Push
Bringing Miller back to the Rangers makes complete sense. Mika Zibanejad hasn’t had a strong season, and they were missing a true first-line center. Vincent Trocheck has been great, too, but him in a second-line role still makes the most sense.
Miller is without a doubt an upgrade on Chytil. Again, the injuries are a big concern, and he didn’t have the offensive pop that many were hoping to see from him. Of course, the Rangers would have liked to keep him in the lineup if possible, but when it comes to facilitating a deal for Miller, it makes perfect sense to include him.
Mancini has 15 NHL games and was on a good trajectory this season, but moving him and replacing him with Brannstrom makes sense, too. While Brannstrom may be on the outside looking in with the Rangers’ lineup, he can still bring some good play with him. He moves the puck very well but has a very underrated defensive game. He is only 5-foot-10, making it hard to move out bigger bodies in front of the net, but he gets the job done.
Trading away the first-round pick could bite the Rangers next season if it does get moved to an unprotected 2026 first-round pick, but odds are that the Rangers have a much better year than they have had so far this season. The Rangers haven’t had the most success developing their own prospects, but a first-round pick is always a valuable asset.
The Rangers got better right now, and likely for each of the six seasons Miller still has under contract with this deal. The salary cap’s expected raises likely helped convince the Rangers that making this deal can work.
While some had doubts about the Rangers being legitimate Stanley Cup contenders after the start of the season they had, this deal with certainly help convince those on the fence that the Rangers will push into a playoff spot, and can be one of the top teams in the league for the rest of the season, including the playoffs.
Rangers Grade: A
