All the rumors seem to circle the New York Rangers right now despite being in the middle of a roster freeze for the Christmas period. However, growing discontent between two teammates on the other side of the continent might answer some of the New York Rangers' struggles, and the Blueshirts might be able to take advantage of another team. As the old saying goes, when you're drowning in the NHL, you get thrown an anchor, not a life raft, and the Rangers have a chance to throw an anchor.
Let's turn our attention to the western part of Canada and to the city of Vancouver, where we find the Canucks. A growing rift between star forwards Elias Pettersson and former New York Ranger J.T Miller has seen their issues bleed into the rest of the organization. These locker room issues have led to the Canucks suggesting they will make changes involving the personnel if this rift isn't sorted.
Pettersson, 26, is the younger of the two players and is widely considered among the best centers in the world. His 200-foot game is strong, and his new 8-year extension means he's probably going to be a Canuck for the foreseeable future. Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin would come under severe pressure if they elected to move the Swede before moving on from Miller. It's a lot less justifiable to move the younger player.
J.T. Miller has been a problem since leaving New York. Known as a long-time locker room troublemaker, the former Ranger settled in Vancouver after a poor spell in Tampa Bay. He's turned himself into a repeated 100-point player with the Canucks, but his defensive game is lacking. He's now 32, with back and neck issues, which suggests his best years are behind him and his $8 million a year contract until he's 38.
Bringing Miller back to New York might work if the Rangers can convince the Canucks to take Mika Zibanejad's contract back and hope a change of scenery for both players would let them both flourish. Miller returning to the team he started his career with may benefit from an elevated role, and the Rangers could put him with sensational players like Artemi Panarin to further inflate his points totals.
It could be difficult for a Rangers room with no clear leadership direction to take on an emotional player, but the Blueshirts need a change. Getting out from a Zibanejad deal would make it worth it, but the Canucks might consider it because of the risk attached to it. There's no certainty to re-acquiring J.T. Miller. We'll see what happens in the coming months, but the Rangers could benefit from the struggles of the Canucks if Chris Drury plays his cards right.