The prolonged situation surrounding J.T. Miller has finally reached its conclusion. The final element of the trade that brought the former Canucks player to New York will be finalized at the upcoming NHL Draft. The Rangers have chosen to transfer their 12th overall selection to the Pittsburgh Penguins immediately, as announced Tuesday, instead of delaying it until 2026.
This transaction evolved into a three-team deal where Vancouver sent Miller, along with defensemen Jackson Dorrington and Erik Brannstrom, to the Rangers. In return, the Canucks received Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and New York`s 2025 first-round draft pick, which was protected for selections 1 through 13.
Subsequently, that first-round pick was traded by the Rangers to the Penguins, packaged with Danton Heinen, Vincent Desharnais, and Melvin Fernstrom. Pittsburgh sent Marcus Pettersson and Drew O`Connor back to New York in that exchange.
Given the pick`s top-13 protection and the Rangers holding the 12th overall spot in the upcoming draft, the selection would have been deferred to the 2026 draft. However, the Rangers opted to use the pick this year and retain their 2026 first-rounder.
Miller, in his second tenure with the Rangers, showed improved performance following his high-profile trade from Vancouver. The 31-year-old forward accumulated 35 points from 13 goals and 22 assists over 32 games upon his return to New York.
Despite Miller`s personal contributions, the Rangers did not qualify for the playoffs, concluding the season with a 39-36-7 record.
Pittsburgh ended the season behind New York, holding the second-lowest record in the Metropolitan Division at 34-36-12.
Tristan Blackwood