Grading the Canucks J.T. Miller Trade: A Big Rangers’ Win

After weeks, or is it months (if not years) of speculation (much of it behind the scenes), the Vancouver Canucks have finally moved J.T. Miller. Miller heads back to the New York Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, defense prospect Victor Mancini, and a protected first-round pick. Moving with Miller were two defensemen from the Canucks. One was roster player Erik Brannstrom, and the other was Jackson Dorrington (a 20-year-old, left-shot defenseman who’s currently playing at Northeastern University).

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Why This Trade Deserves a C+

First, the Return Was Underwhelming Return for an Elite Player

Perhaps Miller has his faults, but he was fresh off a 100-point season. He was the Canucks’ most productive forward, and the Rangers will benefit. And, outside of Quinn Hughes, Miller was arguably the team’s best player.

Yet, Vancouver failed to land a true game-changer in return. Chytil is a solid two-way forward but, at 25, hasn’t shown top-line upside. His career-best 45 points suggest he’s more of a high-end third-liner or low-end second-line center instead of the centerpiece in a trade. He’s a good player but not an elite producer. He’s also got a history of injuries, which has to concern the Canucks a little.

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Second, the Canucks Draft Pick Return Value is Limited

The first-round pick returning to Vancouver is top-13 protected. That means the Canucks are unlikely to get a high-value prospect in return. If the Rangers make the playoffs, as expected, the pick will likely fall in the 20s, limiting its potential impact.

Third, Mancini Is a Question Mark on the Defense

Mancini is a big right-shot defenseman. If he’s good, that’s something the Canucks need. However, is he still a work in progress? Brannstrom, meanwhile, had some skill and could have been a puck-moving defenseman. However, it seemed that coach Rick Tocchet didn’t value him.

The Overall Assessment of the Trade from the Canucks Perspective

The trade feels like a forced move. From the Canucks perspective, it was as if they cried “Uncle.” The best analysis is that rather than a well-planned roster decision, it removed a festering Canucks problem that the Rangers solved. The tension between Miller and Elias Pettersson forced the move, which is precisely what this trade felt like.

From my perspective, the Canucks’ leadership could not solve (or at least tone down) this situation. That, for a group that’s supposed to be “leaderly,” is a mishandling of the problem. You would think that an intelligent and powerful leadership group could have at least put a band-aid on this wound until the end of the season. They could (or did) not.

One of the few positives is that the Canucks didn’t retain any of Miller’s contract. This keeps their salary cap situation a little cleaner, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that they sold low on a premier player. For fans who really want to find a silver lining, the hope is that Pettersson can go back to being Pettersson now that Miller is gone and the the Canucks have big plans to spend with the money they’re saving.

The Trade (Right Now) Is a Clear Win for the Rangers

This is a clear win for the Rangers over the Canucks. They added a top offensive player without giving up a key roster player or top-tier prospect. For Vancouver, this move might be necessary for locker room stability, but from a pure hockey standpoint, it’s hard to justify.

The Canucks have to hope Victor Mancini is the real deal. If he is, the trade rises rapidly more toward the Canucks favor. Here’s hoping.

Related: J.T. Miller Traded to the New York Rangers in Multi-Piece Deal