The lengthy J.T. Miller trade saga has finally reached its conclusion.
The last remaining component of the trade that sent the former Vancouver Canucks player to the New York Rangers is set to be resolved during the upcoming NHL Draft. The Rangers have chosen to transfer their 12th overall selection to the Pittsburgh Penguins instead of postponing it to the 2026 draft, as jointly announced by the teams on Tuesday.
In a transaction that involved three teams, the Canucks initially sent Miller to the Rangers, along with defensemen Jackson Dorrington and Erik Brannstrom. In return, Vancouver acquired Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and New York`s 2025 first-round pick, which carried a top-13 protection.
Subsequently, the Rangers traded that protected pick to the Penguins. This second part of the deal also involved the Rangers sending Danton Heinen, Vincent Desharnais, and Melvin Fernstrom to Pittsburgh, receiving Marcus Pettersson and Drew O`Connor in exchange.
Due to the protection terms, the 2025 first-round pick would have been deferred to the 2026 draft because the Rangers` selection landed at 12th overall this year. However, the Rangers decided to yield their 2025 pick now and keep their selection for 2026.
Miller, now in his second tenure with the Rangers, displayed improved performance after the highly publicized trade from Vancouver. The 31-year-old forward recorded 13 goals and 22 assists, accumulating 35 points in 32 games back in New York.
Despite Miller`s individual success, the Rangers did not qualify for the post-season, concluding their season with a record of 39-36-7.
Pittsburgh finished the season below New York in the standings, posting the second-worst record in the Metropolitan Division at 34-36-12.
