New York Rangers
Insider Addresses J.T. Miller Trade Speculation Amid Rangers Retool
Will J.T. Miller be traded out of New York as part of the Rangers’ retool?
New York Rangers GM Chris Drury’s statement revealing that the team is entering a retool has raised more questions than answers thus far. Outside of pending UFA Artemi Panarin—who is almost certain to be moved before the deadline—we still don’t really know who else could truly be in play in the Big Apple.
Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox are assumed to be non-starters, but what about the newly named captain, J.T. Miller? The star center’s first season wearing the “C” has been far from ideal, and while it’s fair to wonder whether he could be part of the shake-up, it sounds like that won’t be the case.
TSN insider Pierre LeBrun shared the latest on Miller’s future as a Ranger, which he believes should not be in question at all.
“I will say this: the GM of the Rangers, Chris Drury, met with all the players individually who have no-move clauses. But J.T. Miller, the captain—his name is already out there being bandied about, and I’m not quite sure why. Because what I was told today is J.T. Miller has no intention of waiving his no-move clause, and the Rangers have no intention of going to him to ask him 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. J.T. Miller should not be part of whatever exodus of players goes out in New York,”
The 32-year-old has recorded 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) in 42 games played this season. He’s in year three of the seven-year, $56 million extension he signed with the Canucks back in 2022, which includes the aforementioned no-movement clause through 2026-27.
If J.T. Miller Is Untouchable, Who Else Could Be Available?
It’s become quite clear that teams around the league can cross Miller off their list of trade targets—if they were even circling him to begin with.
That said, even with Miller, Shesterkin, and Fox very likely all off-limits, the Rangers still have several intriguing pieces that should draw plenty of interest.
Vincent Trocheck stands out as a do-it-all centerman on a very team-friendly contract with term. Then there’s Alexis Lafrenière, who could benefit from a change of scenery to fully unlock his potential. Lastly, Mika Zibanejad is in the midst of a major bounce-back year, which could persuade Drury to broach the subject of waiving his no-movement clause now that his value is up.
So while the very top of the food chain remains out of play in New York, the Rangers still have a plethora of big names and valuable assets to move in the coming weeks—buckle up.
Next: Latest NHL Trade Buzz: Canucks, Rangers, Flames
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