Rangers interested in reuniting with Canucks star

The New York Rangers are having a hard time on the ice. The Rangers dropped their fifth straight game on Friday evening. And there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the Rangers right now. However, general manager Chris Drury is looking to shake up the roster and possibly reunite with Vancouver Canucks star JT Miller.

According to Arthur Staple and Peter Baugh of The Athletic, the Rangers have reportedly inquired about the possibility of a trade for Miller. Miller is currently out of the Canucks indefinitely. New York is incredibly familiar with the veteran forward as he began his career on Broadway in 2012-2013.

This isn’t the first time the Rangers have been interested in Miller either. Staple and Baugh noted that New York attempted to complete a trade with the Canucks in 2021-22. However, they wanted to keep defender Braeden Schneider out of any deal. Miller then signed a seven-year contract with Vancouver, squashing any potential trade.

What a Rangers-Canucks JT Miller trade could look like

The Rangers and Canucks are two teams with the Stanley Cup Playoffs in their sights. It certainly makes sense why the Rangers want JT Miller via trade. However, given their current ambition, it makes less sense for Vancouver to engage in this trade.

Miller has become one of the better point producers in the NHL over the past three seasons. In 2023-2024, he even reached the 100-point plateau for the very first time. He has scored at least 32 goals in each of the past three seasons and played a key role in Vancouver’s offense.

At this point, it doesn’t appear the Canucks are trying to trade Miller. This is more about New York trying to see if something could be possible down the road. Either way, if a trade were to fall through, it would certainly be the talk of the hockey world for a few weeks to come.

The Canucks have no incentive to take draft capital for their star forward. As a result, they would likely ask a squad player back for him. If the Rangers season continues south, can they part ways with Chris Kreider? Maybe they move a defenseman like K’Andre Miller or Jacob Trouba. It would probably be a one-on-one or selection player for selection play plus a draft pick sweetener.

At this point, this is all speculation. The Canucks are focused on supporting Miller during his time away from the game. And it feels too early for the Rangers to make a trade of this potential magnitude. In any case, keep an eye on these two teams as the 2024-2025 campaign continues.