The finer details of the recent negotiations between the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks are coming to light.
It’s been widely reported the two teams were deep in trade discussions around centre J.T. Miller moving east.
The Rangers’ offer, which was nearly good enough to get a deal over the finish line, is believed to have been for Filip Chytil, a first-round pick, and a prospect, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The deal fell apart at the last second, and Miller remains a member of the Canucks.
Chytil is the centrepiece of that Rangers offer, and he’s an intriguing piece any club would be interested in, even if he’s far from the calibre of player that Miller is. The 6-foot-2 centre is still just 25 years old, scored 22 goals, and had 45 points in his last healthy season.
The issue with Chytil is he’s struggled to stay on the ice. He missed nearly all of last season after suffering a concussion and then going through multiple setbacks. Head injuries are very tricky, and once you have a few, you become much more susceptible to further complications. Thus, acquiring the Czechia-born centre is a risk.
While Friedman didn’t name the exact prospect involved in the deal, it might’ve been one of the three AHL players held out of their games on Saturday. Adam Sykora, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, and Jaroslav Chmelar were all kept out of Hartford’s game when it felt like a Miller deal was close. None of them are top-tier prospects, but they would add to the Canucks organizational depth.
While that Rangers trade failed, the two teams have reportedly picked the phones back up and are still working on a deal. The Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes seem to be the two most probable landing spots for Miller at this point, and both clubs have permission to talk directly to the player, according to Friedman.
Despite the noise reaching a feverous pitch over the past few days, Miller has turned in a pair of solid performances. He was very good in a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers and added an assist in a disappointing loss against the Buffalo Sabres.