The New York Rangers have been one of the best teams in the NHL since the start of 2025. In 13 games, they boast an impressive 8-2-3 record, including a 10-game point streak where they went 7-0-3, snapped yesterday. The Rangers are now just 3 points out of a wild card spot and appear poised to be a playoff team come April. Amid their strong performance, the Rangers have made headlines recently as they’ve been linked to former Ranger and current Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller, who is reportedly on the trade block. The Rangers seem to be heavily interested in acquiring Miller.
A report surfaced about a week ago indicating that a deal was in place to send J.T. Miller to the Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, Ryan Lindgren, and a 2025 first-round pick. However, the two sides ultimately could not come to an agreement, and the trade fell through. Despite this, reports suggest the Rangers remain interested in Miller, and this trade could very well materialize in the coming weeks. With the Rangers beginning to hit their stride, the question remains: should they trade for J.T. Miller?
I believe this team has a strong chance of making the playoffs this season, which makes a trade like this more likely to happen sooner rather than later. After careful consideration, I think the Rangers should make this move—but only at the right cost. Adding J.T. Miller could bolster their 5-on-5 scoring and significantly improve their power play. Miller in 38 games has 8 goals and 25 assists for 33 points. He has been over a point a game the last 3 seasons and has been pretty solid this year. He has some problems in the locker room with teammate Elias Pettersson, so I think he is probably going to be traded sooner rather than later.
As for the reported deal by Elliotte Friedman, I would be comfortable with it, though I believe Miller might not necessarily require a first-round pick in the trade. If the Rangers do need to include a first-round pick, it should come with a conditional protection in case they miss the playoffs.
Regarding Ryan Lindgren, he has struggled for much of this season and is unlikely to be re-signed, which makes him a logical piece to include in the trade. The most significant part of the deal, however, would be Filip Chytil. While Chytil has a lot of potential due to his speed and play-driving ability, his inability to stay healthy is a concern.
If the Rangers can acquire J.T. Miller for a package like this, it would be a no-brainer. His addition would allow Mika Zibanejad to reduce his workload as a top-six center and primary power-play contributor, which could ultimately help the Rangers solidify a comfortable playoff spot.
There are concerns about Miller and with him personal and in the locker room, but maybe a change of scenary bac to the Rangers will fix that and we will be a good player and teamaate after the trade. It is a risky move, but I believe it can help the Rangers move into the contedner tier if they keep on this trajectory they have been ever since the start of the 2025 clander year. I think it is just a matter of time that J.T. Miller will be a New York Ranger once again.
There are concerns about J.T. Miller, both personally and in the locker room, but perhaps a change of scenery back to the Rangers could address those issues. If that happens, he could prove to be a strong player and teammate after the trade.
While this move carries some risk, I believe it has the potential to elevate the Rangers into the contender tier, especially if they continue on their current trajectory since the start of the 2025 calendar year. In my opinion, it’s only a matter of time before J.T. Miller becomes a New York Ranger once again.