Why Chris Drury was smart keeping Drew Fortescue over Victor Mancini in J.T. Miller Trade Talks

The Vancouver Canucks had their eyes on a young defenseman from the New York Rangers, but Rangers' President and GM Chris Drury wasn't having it..

The trade ultimately went through, and the Blueshirts sent Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a top-13 protected 2025 first-round pick to Vancouver (selection now with the Pittsburgh Penguins after Marcus Petterson trade) in exchange for J.T. Miller, Erik Brannstrom, and Jackson Dorrington. Before they pulled the trigger, the Canucks were pushing for Drew Fortescue instead of Mancini. Why didn't they get Fortescue?

The answer is simple — the Rangers weren't willing to part with him.

According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, Vancouver had been searching for a defenseman in the deal. At one point, defenseman Ryan Lindgren (a pending UFA who has struggled this season) was part of an earlier trade proposal that was ultimately rejected. Yet when it came to Fortescue, the Rangers drew a hard line.

This backs up rumors that a trade involving Miller broke down weeks prior. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed that the Canucks were fixated on acquiring a specific prospect.

Why Drew Fortescue Should Stays on Broadway

The Rangers drafted Fortescue in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft, and since then, he's only solidified his status as a future shutdown defenseman. Playing top-pair minutes for Boston College — the best team in NCAA hockey — he's already won back-to-back World Junior Championships for Team USA in 2024 and 2025, plus a U18 gold medal in 2023.

While Mancini has taken a more unconventional path to the NHL, going undrafted twice before finally being picked in the fifth round in 2022, Fortescue's ceiling is simply higher. He's a smooth-skating, defensively sound blueliner who thrives at retrieving pucks and making clean first passes — a critical skill in today's game. With a little more strength, he could develop into a new-age shutdown defenseman who quietly neutralizes top lines without making flashy plays.  

Fortescue's ties to the Rangers run deep. He was coached at the USNTDP by Dan Muse, who is now an assistant with the Blueshirts on Peter Laviolette's staff. He grew up in New York, trained with the organization in the summer, and works with the team's strength coach, Ben Prentiss, who has helped develop countless Rangers prospects. Even Montreal Canadiens coach, former Blueshirt, and hockey hall of Famer Marty St. Louis, who coached him in minor hockey, praised his instincts and ability to make smart plays despite not having elite speed or a booming shot. Keeping him in the system was a no-brainer.   

Victor Mancini: A Good Piece, But Not Fortescue

The Canucks see something in Mancini, and to be fair, he's earned his way to the NHL after being overlooked in multiple drafts. He brings size and physicality at 6-foot-3, 229 pounds — something Vancouver's blue line could use. He's a fit for head coach Rick Tocchet's hard-nose system. He battles hard in front of the net, uses his long reach to disrupt plays, and brings a mean, physical edge to the blue line. His gap control and ability to clog up lanes make him a tough defender to play against. He's a solid bottom-pairing defenseman who plays hard in front of the net and isn't afraid to engage physically.  

That said, he's not a game-changer. He doesn't have NHL-level footspeed to keep up with the superstars yet, his puck-moving ability is questionable, and while he has some intriguing offensive flashes, those breakout passing needs serious work. He often resorts to rim-around clears instead of strong flip exits on the strong side of the ice. 

His ceiling likely tops out as a reliable, defense-first depth piece and bottom-pair blueliner. Vancouver already called him up following the trade, showing they believe he can contribute immediately and hopefully does. Still, he's not Fortescue, who projects as a legitimate top-four defenseman down the road.  

Drury wouldn't let a high-upside defensive prospect like Fortescue go. J.T. Miller, while a great player who could be the missing piece these Blueshirts needed for a playoff push, wasn't worth it. The Rangers are in win-now mode, but they also have to think about the future, and Fortescue is a vital piece of the puzzle.

Mancini might turn into a solid NHLer for Vancouver, but keeping Fortescue was the right decision for the Rangers. Someday, we'll be watching him patrol the Madison Square Garden blue line, shutting down stars, while the Canucks wonder what could have been.