Canucks trade J.T. Miller to Rangers in deal for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini and first-round pick

The J.T. Miller trade saga is over.

The Vancouver Canucks have traded forward J.T. Miller and defenders Erik Brännström Jackson Dorrington to the New York Rangers for center Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini and a 2025 first-round pick (top 13 protected).

The 31-year-old center has been the subject of trade rumors for a few months now. Miller has nine goals and 35 points in 40 games, giving him a 72-game pace of 63 points. That would be his lowest total through at least 60 games since he joined the Canucks in 2019-20. Miller missed time earlier in this season after taking a leave of absence from the club, but never seemed to find his groove once he returned in mid-December.

However, the biggest talking point surrounding Miller involves his reported feud with Elias Pettersson, who has also struggled this year. Pettersson has also been subject to trade rumors, but Miller’s move could put those to rest.

Miller is coming off a career-best season where he scored 37 goals and registered 103 points – surpassing the century barrier for the first time in his career. He came close in 2021-22, setting a new high at the time of 99 points. He’s currently in the second year of a seven-year contract he signed on Sept. 2, 2022.

Drafted 15th overall by the Rangers, the trade will serve as a homecoming for Miller. He spent the first six years of his NHL career in the Big Apple, scoring 72 goals and 172 points over 341 games.

Miller is set to join the United States for the 4 Nations Face-Off, taking place in Montreal and Boston from Feb. 12-20. This will be the first time he has represented the United States at the men’s senior level, having last worn his nation’s colors when they won gold at the 2013 World Juniors.

Brännström, 25, has eight points in 28 games with the Canucks this year. He has been a big-time producer in the AHL, registering 12 points in just eight games. Overall, Brännström has 77 points in 294 games over seven season with Vancouver and Ottawa.

Dorrington, 20, is a 6-foot-2 blueliner who has some decent speed. He is in his third year with the NCAA’s Northeastern University, where he has 10 points in 23 games.

Chytil has spent his entire NHL career with the Rangers since getting drafted 21st overall in 2017. Health issues have limited his opportunities in recent years, but he did have a career-high 22 goals and 45 points in 2022-23. He’s on pace for just under 40 points this year after missing most of 2023-24.

Mancini, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-3 defender who has some decent speed. He started the year off on a strong foot with the Rangers, but has spent more time in the AHL with Hartford, where he has 10 points in 23 games.

SPONSORED BY bet365