The New York Rangers have struggled a bit to start the season. While making a major move mid-year is rare, it appears that the Blueshirts intend to address these issues right away. After placing a few major players on the trade block, New York appears to have identified one star player they might attempt to trade for soon.
A league source reports the Rangers are inquiring about J.T. Miller
Per Arthur Staple and Peter Baugh of The Athletic, a league source reports that the Blueshirts recently inquired with the Vancouver Canucks about J.T. Miller. The center has tallied 16 points in 17 games this season, but is currently away from the team indefinitely for personal reasons.
Miller was drafted by New York back in 2011. He played well there but was ultimately traded away during their most recent rebuild. Now that Miller has developed into a star center in Vancouver, the Rangers appear to be looking for a reunion with their former 15th overall draft pick.
Acquiring Miller would be a tough task for Drury to pull off
Despite showing interest in Miller, it’s unlikely that a blockbuster trade will happen right now. The biggest factor is Miller’s current leave of absence, with there being no timetable for his return to playing.
Even if Miller were currently with Vancouver, there are other factors that make this trade unlikely. Miller currently holds an AAV of $8 million, with a contract that does not expire until 2030. The Rangers would need to clear an immense amount of their own cap space to make room for Miller, which would mean having to include a major player such as Chris Kreider in the hypothetical deal. Miller is also 31 years old, and will be 38 when his contract ends. Paying a player of that age $8 million would be a massive risk.
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Aside from finances, the Rangers also don’t have much room in their lineup for another center. Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck run the top six, and putting Miller in the bottom six would be pointless. It’s possible that Miller could shift to the wing, but it’s impossible to tell how effective he would be there. The only way to make room for Miller would be to include Zibanejad or Trocheck in the trade, but no-trade clauses would make those chances slim.
