The New York Rangers are watching their 2024-25 NHL season go off the rails. Once seen as top contenders in the East, the Rangers have become the league’s laughing stock. Peter Laviolette is running out of options, but he might want to stay tuned to the ongoing drama within the Vancouver Canucks.
The Rangers under GM Chris Drury are not afraid to make moves. Everybody in Manhattan has a price tag for the team’s General Manager, and he has made that clear to the players. As the Blueshirts struggle, a trade could be the missing piece for New York’s haphazard puzzle.
While Vancouver is not in such a needy position as New York, they could use some blueline help, and the Rangers may have a player for the Canucks. K’Andre Miller is a big defenseman who is pivotal for the Rangers’ PK, but his offensive production woes may drive him out of Laviolette’s team in NYC. Miller is a pending RFA after this season.
In exchange, the Rangers could work out a trade for Vancouver center J.T. Miller. Miller is a gutsy player who could provide a spark for the crestfallen locker room in New York. J.T. Miller could be headed for the exit in Vancouver after a statement from former Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau.
Former Nashville Predators head coach Peter Laviolette addresses the media following his team s 4-3 double overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN.
Boudreau stated Miller was estranged with fellow center Elias Pettersson. With the Canucks’ season on the line, the front office could decide to ship one of the dueling stars if the situation continues to escalate. It would be a risky move for both sides, but with the Rangers desperate for solutions, they might just be willing to take the chance.
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Though both J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson denied the reported rift between them, drama is starting to bubble up within the Canucks’ organization. Vancouver got off to a strong start this season, but has since slowed down before the Christmas break, with many pointing to a suspected division in the locker room as the cause.
Boudreau’s comments on Miller and Pettersson
Boudreau joined the Canucks midway through the 21-22 season and was fired after 46 games in the 22-23 campaign. Boudreau failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs during his stay in British Columbia. During a radio interview, the former Canucks’ coach opened up on the relationship between Miller and Pettersson.
“It is a problem, and I knew they had a little bit of a problem between them before I got there,” Boudreau stated, via OverDrive. “But I thought that was all straightened out and everything. So, I’m hoping it was a coincidence.
“If there’s a rift in the locker room, it’s up to the coach in all of these situations. I know the coach is the easy one to move but it’s up to him to read the room, and if something is wrong, to fix it and to fix the room and bring the guys in and talk to them about it.”
Head coach Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers looks on against the New York Islanders during the first period during the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series.
Miller and Pettersson shut down the rumors
Although the rumors about Miller and Pettersson’s conflicted relationship have been loud in Vancouver for quite some time, both players set the record straight recently.
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“You guys, in a sense, out of the outer world, have created this thing. This isn’t a thing,” J.T. Miller told reporters during a media session on Sunday. “I can bring out Petey and we can do the interview together if that’ll make you guys happy.”
“I don’t know why people are still trying to make s— up,” Pettersson stated. “Oh my God, next question.”
Although both stars have made it clear there’s no divide in the locker room, the New York Rangers, along with other NHL teams, will be watching closely as the situation in Vancouver unfolds. If the Canucks hit a slump, it could be go-time for Chris Drury and the Rangers to pull the trigger on a trade in hopes of salvaging their season.
