One Year Later: Revisiting the J.T. Miller-Filip Chytil Trade Between the Rangers and Canucks
On January 31, 2025, the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers pulled the trigger on one of the more headline-grabbing trades of the 2024-25 NHL season. Vancouver sent J.T.
Miller back to the team that originally drafted him, while receiving Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini, and a 2025 first-round pick in return. A year later, it’s time to take a closer look at how the deal has aged for both franchises - and let’s just say, it’s been a complicated ride on both sides.
J.T. Miller: Back in Broadway Blue, but Not Quite the Star
J.T. Miller’s second act in New York hasn’t exactly been a Broadway blockbuster.
Statistically, he’s been solid - 27 goals and 71 points across 79 games since the trade. That kind of production would normally be enough to call a trade a win.
But the story goes deeper than the box score.
Miller was surprisingly handed the captaincy before this season, a bold move from a team that clearly believed they were getting more than just a scorer. They were betting on a leader.
But leadership has been the sore spot. While there haven’t been any publicized blowups like the ones that marked his final stretch in Vancouver - think the on-ice shouting match with Luke Schenn or the tense locker room dynamic with Elias Pettersson - questions around his effort and accountability have bubbled to the surface.
Former players, analysts, and fans alike have pointed to moments where Miller appeared to quit on plays or failed to set the tone expected of a captain. For a team that had playoff aspirations, that kind of inconsistency in leadership has hurt - and it’s part of why the Rangers have found themselves pivoting from contender to something more like a retool.
Still, the Rangers are standing by their guy. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Miller has no intention of waiving his no-move clause, and the Rangers aren’t asking him to. They traded for him, they named him captain, and for now, they’re doubling down on that decision.
But whether he keeps the ‘C’ on his chest moving forward? That’s still a question mark.
Filip Chytil: Flashes of Brilliance, But the Injury Bug Won’t Let Go
For Filip Chytil, the move to Vancouver was supposed to be a fresh start - a chance to take on a bigger role and help shape a new era for the Canucks. But so far, it’s been defined more by time missed than time played.
Since the trade, Chytil has suited up for just 26 games. A dangerous hit by Jason Dickinson sidelined him for 16 games last season, and then just six games into the 2025-26 campaign, he took a brutal blow from Tom Wilson that cost him another 44. That’s 60 games missed in less than a year - a tough pill for any team, especially one trying to build around young, dynamic talent.
When he’s on the ice, Chytil’s impact is clear. His speed and transition play give the Canucks a different gear, and his five goals and nine points in limited action show he can produce. But the best ability is availability, and right now, that’s been the missing piece.
There’s still hope. Chytil is only 25 and has the tools to be a top-six mainstay. If he can stay healthy - and that’s a big if, given the concussion history - he could still be a foundational piece in Vancouver’s future plans.
Victor Mancini: A Work in Progress on the Blue Line
Victor Mancini was a bit of a throw-in at the time of the trade, but he’s quietly become one of the more intriguing parts of the deal for Vancouver. After logging just 15 games with the Rangers, he played 16 with the Canucks last season and even cracked the opening night roster this year thanks to a strong preseason.
But an early-season injury derailed that momentum, and since returning, he’s been bouncing between the NHL and AHL. In 10 total games this season, he’s still looking for his first point and sits at a minus-6. Not ideal, but not the full story either.
Mancini brings a blend of mobility, size, and defensive awareness that coaches love in a modern-day blueliner. He’s still just 23, and there’s a sense that with more seasoning, he could carve out a regular role on the Canucks' blue line - especially as the team prepares for life after Quinn Hughes. He’s not there yet, but the tools are in the toolbox.
The First-Round Pick That Got Away
The Canucks didn’t hold onto the 2025 first-rounder from the Rangers for long. Just a day after the trade, they flipped it - along with Danton Heinen, David Desharnais, and prospect Melvin Fernstrom - to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor.
That pick ended up being the 12th overall selection. The Flyers, who acquired it from Pittsburgh, used it to draft Jack Nesbitt. In hindsight, that’s a tough one to swallow for Vancouver, especially considering where they are now in their rebuild.
Pettersson and O’Connor both signed extensions shortly after the deal - six years for Pettersson, two for O’Connor - but their futures in Vancouver are murky. Pettersson hasn’t looked like the same steady two-way presence he was in Pittsburgh, and with a no-movement clause baked into his deal, moving him won’t be easy.
O’Connor, on the other hand, has been a bright spot. With 13 goals this season and a motor that never stops, he’s the kind of versatile forward who could draw serious interest from playoff-bound teams. If the Canucks decide to sell, he might be one of their most attractive trade chips.
So, Who’s Winning the Trade?
Right now? No one.
Miller has produced, but the leadership questions and the Rangers’ backslide have clouded his value. Chytil has shown flashes but can’t stay healthy.
Mancini is still a project. And the first-round pick?
Gone - turned into two players who may or may not be part of Vancouver’s long-term picture.
There’s still time for this deal to tilt in one direction. If Chytil can stay on the ice and become a core piece in Vancouver, and if Mancini develops into a reliable top-four defenseman, the Canucks might eventually come out ahead. But as it stands, a year later, this trade feels like a draw - a high-profile deal that hasn’t quite delivered on its promise for either side.
It’s a reminder that in the NHL, even the biggest trades don’t always have immediate winners. Sometimes, the verdict takes years to write.