Following weeks of rumours and speculation about his future with the Vancouver Canucks, star forward J.T. Miller has been traded to the New York Rangers.
In exchange for Miller, defenceman Erik Brännström and the rights to defenceman Jackson Dorrington, the Canucks will get Rangers centre Filip Chytil, defenceman Victor Mancini and a conditional first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
“On behalf of the entire Canucks organization I want to thank J.T. for his time here in Vancouver,” said general manager Patrik Allvin, in a statement.
“J.T. was a passionate impact player and good leader for our hockey team. Moving him was not an easy decision but we are pleased with our return from the Rangers.”
The trade follows days after Canucks president Jim Rutherford confirmed reports of an off-ice feud between Miller and fellow centre Elias Pettersson.
“Everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved,” Rutherford told the Globe and Mail’s Gary Mason in a bombshell interview this week.
“But it only gets resolved for a short period of time and then it festers again, and so it certainly appears like there’s not a good solution that would keep this group together.”
It’s unclear if the rift has contributed to the team’s struggles this season. The Canucks recently turned things around on the road, and are heading into Friday’s game against the Dallas Stars on a three-game winning streak.
Miller, 31, will not be taking the ice, according to multiple reports.
He finished last season with a career-high of 103 points over 81 games, with 37 goals and 66 assists. So far this season, Miller has tallied 35 points, with nine goals and 26 assists over 40 games.
