Finally, at least some of the drama in Vancouver has come to an end. The Canucks agreed to send one of their two disgruntled stars, center JT Miller, to the New York Rangers in a blockbuster deal involving five players and a first-round pick.
Here’s the total trade:
- To Rangers: JT Miller Erik Brannstrom, Jackson Dorrington
- To Canucks: Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, 2025 1st round pick (Top 13 Protected)
Importantly, the Canucks are not retaining any salary on Miller’s deal, which carries an $8M cap hit thru the 2029-30 season.
Rangers Return
Miller, 31, played the first six years of his NHL career for the Rangers, who drafted him 15th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft. Now, he returns to Madison Square Garden for a fresh start and a playoff push.
Brannstrom, 25, was the 15th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. An undersized LHD, he has scored 10 goals in 294 career regular-season games.
Dorrington, 20, is currently a junior at Northeastern University. He’s a 6-2, 210 left-handed defenseman who was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Canucks.
Canucks Additions
Chytil, 25, is a talented center who has been plagued by injuries over the past couple years. He appeared in only 10 games last season and has dealt with concussions. If he can stay healthy, he can be a really nice piece for Vancouver.
Mancini, 22, is a big (6-3, 230) RHD who has appeared in 15 NHL games in his career to date.
The first-round pick in 2025 is protected to the top 13 overall selections. Obviously the goal of the trade is for the Rangers to be in the playoffs and the selection to transfer.
Without retaining any salary in the transaction, the Canucks also save almost $3.6M in cap space.
A SECOND TRADE!
The Canucks then flipped the first-round pick they got from the Rangers to the Penguins in a… fascinating trade.