Revisiting the Canucks & Rangers J.T. Miller Trade – The Hockey Writers – NHL Trade Analysis

On Jan. 31, 2025, the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers made one of the bigger trades of the 2024-25 season. After a lot of drama in Vancouver between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, the Canucks sent Miller back to the team that drafted him and got Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a 2025 first-round pick in return. Now that it’s been more than a year since the trade, let’s take a look at how it’s aged for both sides.

J.T. Miller

I think it’s safe to say Miller’s second stint in the Big Apple has not gone to plan. While his production hasn’t been a problem (30 goals and 88 points in 100 games) since the trade, his attitude and work ethic have come into question. He was surprisingly named captain of the Rangers before the 2025-26 season, and plenty of people believe his leadership (or lack thereof) has contributed to their downfall and transition into a “retool” rather than a return to the playoffs.

Miller is known as an emotional leader who wears his heart on his sleeve. It has gotten him into trouble in the past, from the incident with Collin Delia, an on-ice argument with Luke Schenn, to the rift in the locker room with Pettersson. While there haven’t been any publicized incidents like that with the Rangers, fans, analysts, and former NHLers have called him out for quitting on plays and not leading by example.

Despite that, the Rangers are not looking to trade him again before the deadline, with TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reporting, “What I was told today is that Miller has no intention of waiving his no-move clause, and the Rangers have no intention of going to him and asking to waive it. They traded for him last year, they made him captain, and they still believe in the reasons why they made that move. Miller should not be part of whatever exodus of players leaves New York.”

So, it appears Miller will be staying with the Rangers for the foreseeable future. Whether he stays captain, though, is still up in the air.

Filip Chytil

Chytil’s time in Vancouver hasn’t gone to plan, either, mostly because he has only been available for 26 games since the trade. First, he was on the receiving end of a dirty hit by Jason Dickinson last season that cost him 16 games, then, only six games into 2025-26, Tom Wilson blindsided him, costing him another 44. In total, he’s missed 86 games since becoming a member of the Canucks, and although he’s a bright spot whenever he’s in the lineup, availability is the best ability, and he just hasn’t had that yet.

Chytil’s speed and transition game change the way the Canucks play, but he has to be there to make a difference. He has a decent five goals and nine points in 26 games in the blue and green, so production hasn’t really been a problem; it’s staying healthy and avoiding blows to the head. Here’s hoping he follows in Sidney Crosby’s footsteps, and concussions are now a thing of the past.

Victor Mancini

After playing only 15 games with the Rangers before the trade, Mancini quickly surpassed that in 2024-25 with the Canucks, suiting up for 16 games and recording a goal and three points. He then had an eye-opening preseason and made the opening night roster. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury early on in the season that ultimately cost him his spot in the lineup.

When Mancini returned, he was sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL)’s Abbotsford Canucks, and since then, has bounced up and down the highway, getting into 24 NHL games. He recorded three points in 24 games, alongside a minus-12 in the plus/minus column. Despite that, the 24-year-old right-hander seems destined to join the blue line full-time at some point. His mobility, size, and two-way game are strong points of his skill set, and with more development, he could become a solid top-four option in the Canucks’ post-Quinn Hughes defence corps.

2025 1st-Round Pick

The Canucks didn’t hold onto the Rangers’ 2025 first-round pick for very long. The very next day, they dealt it alongside Danton Heinen, David Desharnais and prospect Melvin Fernstrom to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor. The pick ended up being 12th overall (Philadelphia Flyers acquired it from the Penguins and selected Jack Nesbitt), and in hindsight, given where the Canucks are right now, that trade probably shouldn’t have happened.

But it did, and Pettersson and O’Connor, after quick extensions (Pettersson, six years; O’Connor, two years) within weeks of being acquired, are now question marks in the Canucks’ upcoming rebuild. Pettersson has struggled to find the consistent two-way presence he showed in Pittsburgh, and with a no-movement clause as part of his contract, it will be tough to trade him. O’Connor, however, should be easier and might even fetch the team a lucrative return. He has 17 goals in 2025-26, and his speed and versatility could be an asset to a playoff contender.

Trade Review – Who Is Winning So Far?

Right now, there really is no winner. Miller hasn’t lived up to the billing as a difference-maker in New York – both production and leadership-wise – and Chytil’s 27-game sample size isn’t enough to sway it to the Canucks’ side. If Chytil can stay healthy and be part of the new core in Vancouver and Mancini becomes a top-four defenceman, then the win probably goes to the Canucks. But, based on the past year, it’s pretty much a wash.