Within the risk-averse NHL, the Rangers and Canucks determined it was higher to roll the cube than to simply accept their new regular as playoff outsiders.
It is a breath of contemporary air.
Even realizing that the J.T. Miller-Elias Pettersson saga had turn into untenable — admitted as a lot by Canucks president Jim Rutherford — the package deal that the Canucks finally settled on carries loads of threat for the crew.
It carries loads of threat for the Rangers as properly.
Right here is the potential threat — and reward — of the Canucks and Rangers’ swap.
The Danger
The Canucks did one thing that groups should not do — traded one of the best participant, who additionally occurs to be a real high middle, and acquired again a thriller field within the course of.
The Rangers additionally did one thing you are not purported to do — they acquired an getting older participant on the incorrect facet of 30 in the midst of a down season on a long-term contract. And so they gave up on a promising 25-year-old middle who has confirmed he could be a 20-goal scorer within the NHL. And whilst this transfer doubtlessly makes the crew higher this season, it could not make them higher with sufficient time left to make a distinction.
In the meantime, that 25-year-old middle, Filip Chytil, hasn’t regarded like the identical participant since struggling a concussion that value him 72 regular-season video games and a part of the playoffs final yr. Vancouver is banking on him to search out the a part of his recreation the place accidents have been stolen over the previous two seasons.
The crimson flags are waving. So, what offers?
The Reward
Rangers common supervisor Chris Drury has been actively in search of to remake the core of his crew for the reason that eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers eradicated New York in six video games final spring.
Because the season began, he is dealt defenseman Jacob Trouba and winger Kaapo Kakko, acquired and prolonged defenseman Will Borgen, and now traded Chytil in a deal for Miller.
Miller, a former 100-point participant who’s notoriously difficult for top-line facilities to match up in opposition to, could possibly be the participant the Rangers have been lacking within the 2024 playoffs.
For the Canucks, their hand was compelled by the Miller-Pettersson feud spilling into the general public sphere. That stated, there’s an upside within the gamers they acquired. The actual reward was the top-13 protected first-round choose the Rangers despatched — offering Vancouver with the ammunition they wanted to make a second trade Friday evening that introduced in pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Marcus Pettersson from Pittsburgh to bolster their back-end.
As of Feb. 1, two groups have been on the surface wanting in, and neither thought of that acceptable.
