The stove doesn’t normally get this hot without setting the whole place ablaze. Rumours surrounding the potential movement of various Vancouver Canucks is nothing new in the 2024/25 season.
It’s sort of been the theme.
But the temperature was kicked up to a new notch this past weekend with word that a trade sending JT Miller to the New York Rangers was so close to happening that it resulted in some direct real-world consequences.
Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday that there was a time where Miller was told he’d be scratched for the Canucks’ game against the Oilers in anticipation of the deal. That didn’t wind up happening, but three players were scratched from the lineup of the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford that same day. And if the speculation can be believed, that, too, was done in anticipation of a pending move.
Then it all fell apart, allegedly. But if the adage that ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire’  holds true, it must be said that we are approaching a Cheech & Chong level of smoke here. It really feels as though something’s got to give, and soon.
But does that ‘give’ entail the re-opening of negotiations with the Rangers, or the involvement of other teams?
Before we get to those other teams, we thought a breakdown of those New York pieces that either have already been rumoured to be involved in Miller discussions, or that could feasibly find their way into said negotiations, would be useful.

The Coveted

Alexis Lafrenière
23, LW, 6’1”, 195lb
$2.33m AAV this season, $7.45m AAV next season (expires 2032, UFA)
Word is that the player the Canucks want most from the Rangers is the former 1OA pick Lafrenière. And with good reason. The young power forward just keeps getting closer and closer to what he was promised to be at the NHL level.
It’s true that Lafrenière’s production has taken a bit of a dip this season, down to just 12 goals and 26 points in 46 games. But that’s a Rangers-wide phenomenon, for one, and should take nothing away from the dynamic skillset offered up by this player.
Of the two players listed here under ‘Coveted,’ it does seem that Lafrenière might be the one that NYR is most comfortable parting with.
Braden Schneider
23, RHD, 6’3”, 208lb
$2.2m AAV (expires 2026, RFA)
We don’t need to get too into this one, because Canucks fans have been salivating over acquiring Schneider since before he even entered the league. He’s a big, sturdy, physical RHD with a decent amount of skill to go along with it, and that’s long had him lauded as the perfect potential partner for Quinn Hughes.
But Rangers’ supporters will attest that Schneider looks to be at least a guaranteed top-four D moving forward, and those are incredibly valuable, especially when they’re right-handed and especially when they offer as unique a profile as Schneider. The early word is that New York is keeping Schneider off the table for now, and who can really blame them?

The Complicated

Mika Zibanejad
31, C, 6’2”, 202lb
$8.5m AAV (expires 2030, UFA) [NMC]
Zibanejad’s name has been attached to the Miller rumours since they began, and it’s not hard to figure out why. Both are centres who appear to have worn out some welcome with their current franchises, but who aren’t too far removed from some serious statistical greatness. They’re roughly the same age and signed to very similar contracts.
But the word is that the Canucks aren’t interested in Zibanejad, maybe at all, and definitely not without some contract retention attached. And the other word is that Zibanejad isn’t interested in waiving his NMC for Vancouver, so that sort of ends that discussion right there. Also, there’s real reason to believe that Zibanejad’s best years are simply behind him.
Filip Chytil
25, C, 6’2”, 204lb
$4.4m AAV (expires 2027, UFA)
It has long been said that the Canucks pretty much need to get a middle-six (at least) centre back in any sort of Miller dealings. And if Zibanejad isn’t going to be involved, that centre would probably have to be Chytil.
He’s a big, rangy centre with abundant talent, and he’s scored as many as 45 points in a season. But he’s also incredibly injury-prone, and said to be one good hit to the head away from risking his remaining NHL career.
Chytil as a gamble, at best, and that means he shouldn’t be considered a centrepiece of any trade like this, even if he is included.

The Hartford Three

These are the players we know were scratched by the Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday.
Adam Sykora
20, LW, 5’11”, 192lb
$807K AAV (expires 2027, RFA)
Folks might remember Sykora as the captain of Slovakia’s 2024 WJC team. He’s a forward prospect who has earned a reputation for stellar defensive play and timely goal-scoring. He ranks in about the top-five for Rangers’ prospects. It is believed he was part of the deal that reportedly fell through.
Jaroslav Chmelar
21, RW, 6’5”, 220lb
$868K AAV (expires 2027, RFA)
Chmelar is much less of a household name than Sykora, prospect-wise, but it’s not hard to see why a team might be interested in him (he’s huge.) He’s a long-term project that probably tops out as a bottom-six NHL forward.
Bo Groulx
24, C/LW, 6’2”, 201lb
$775K AAV (expires 2025, UFA)
Groulx is more of an AHL journeyman at this point in his career. There was some good speculation that his scratching on Saturday had more to do with a potential call-up to cover the departure of a centre from the New York lineup, like perhaps Chytil, rather than his involvement in the trade. That definitely tracks.

The Interesting, But Probably Off The Table

Will Cuylle
22, LW, 6’3”, 211lb
$828K AAV (expires 2025, RFA)
Cuylle has been a revelation for the Rangers this season, bursting onto the scene as a true power forward and putting up more than respectable numbers a rookie. As such, he’s one of their least available players.
Victor Mancini
22, RHD, 6’3”, 215lb
$870K AAV (expires 2026, RFA)
Mancini also came out of nowhere to almost make the Rangers out of camp, and looks like he’ll be skating NHL minutes on the right side before too long. He’s found money, and the Rangers won’t be interested in parting with him anytime soon.
Matt Rempe
22, C/W, 6’9”, 255lb
$820K AAV (expires 2026, RFA)
A truly unique specimen in the modern NHL. The Rangers can’t trade Rempe until they know exactly how impactful he’s going to be in the big leagues, because there’s really only one of him in the world.

Other Pieces That Could Enter The Picture

Chris Kreider
33, LW, 6’3”, 230lb
$6.5m AAV (expires 2027, UFA) [15-team NTC]
If the Canucks wanted to replace as much of Miller’s offence in a NYR trade as possible, they’d want to include Kreider. And Kreider has been rumoured to be on the way out all season long. But he’s also probably a little too old and on the downslide for him to serve any real purpose to the Canucks, and thus the Rangers would be better served selling him off elsewhere.
K’Andre Miller
24, LHD, 6’5”, 215lb
$3.87m AAV (expires 2025, RFA)
A Miller-for-Miller trade has been talked about before. The Rangers’ Miller is a defender will all the tools and size anyone could ever hope for, but the proverbial inability to put it all together. He’s still bursting with upside and does profile as the exact sort of project Rick Tocchet and Co. have had success with before.
He’d be an intriguing and important addition to a trade, even if he doesn’t quite qualify as a centrepiece in terms of value.
Gabe Perreault
19, RW, 5’11”, 165lb
Unsigned
Perreault is fresh off a ten-point WJC-winning performance, and he’s also one of the NCAA’s top scorers for Boston College. He’s the Rangers’ top prospect, hands down, and if they’re looking to juice the value of any offer, including Perreault is the easiest way to do so. 
Brennan Othmann
22, LW, 6’0”, 181lb
$863K AAV (expires 2026, RFA)
Othmann generally falls right behind Perreault in Rangers prospect rankings, but comes with the additional benefits of being more sizeable and definitely more NHL-ready. He’s a goal-scorer who is learning how to consistently score at the pro level.
Will Borgen
28, RHD, 6’3”, 204lb
$2.7m AAV (expires 2025, UFA)
We’ve talked about Borgen plenty before, even before he ended up in New York. Carson Soucy’s former D partner is one of the top RHDs on the market, almost by default, and could play a role in balancing both the value and salary in a Miller deal.
Zac Jones
24, LHD, 5’11”, 185lb
$813K AAV (expires 2025, RFA)
We wrote about Jones earlier in the year after he expressed some disgruntlement with the Rangers, and we don’t think he’s any less disgruntled at this point. However, he’s a throw-in piece at best in any major trade.
Picks
The Rangers have ample other prospects and picks that could be included in any negotiations. They are still in possession of their next three first round picks, but none of their next three second rounders.
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