The New York Rangers Need J.T. Miller. Again.

Sometimes when your team is in crisis, it’s helpful to look at the rest of the league to remind yourself that you are not alone. The Rangers may be circling the drain just halfway through the 2024-2025 season, but plenty of other teams in the NHL are experiencing similar tragic theatrics. 

It’s been an up-and-down year for the Vancouver Canucks, after a dominant swing in the right direction last season. Despite their 18-12-10 record, the team’s been weighed down by the drama surrounding star players Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. There’s been tension between the Swede and the American for years now, but it’s reached a boiling point, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated last Saturday. Fed up with the constant speculation and locker room strife, “the Canucks are definitely looking at the market for both players.”

There have naturally been proposals floated for the New York Rangers to acquire either player over the past several months by armchair GMs everywhere. Reportedly, the Canucks inquired about Chris Kreider following the release of Chris Drury’s infamous memo. There was speculation that Miller would have to be involved for New York to consider a deal, but some suggested Kreider had Vancouver on his no-trade list, effectively shutting down the conversation before it could begin. 

(The Canucks on his no-trade list? Mark Messier would be proud.)

There is no point in entertaining conversations around Elias Pettersson. The Rangers already have an inconsistent Swedish center who the media loves to use as a scapegoat – Mika Zibanejad. Pettersson is an elite talent, but his drive and production are wishy-washy enough that escaping to New York won’t quell the media fire surrounding his “commitment” and emotional response to the game. Bringing him to the loudest American media market won’t do him or the Rangers any favors.

Miller, on the other hand, seems like the ideal pickup for New York.