The Rangers are bringing back a former first-round pick.

J.T. Miller is returning to the Rangers in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks along with two prospects, Jackson Dorrington and Erik Brannstrom, according to multiple reports. The Rangers are reportedly sending Filip Chytil, prospect Victor Mancini and a protected first-round draft pick to Vancouver.

Miller, the Rangers' 15th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, spent his first six seasons with the Blue Shirts. In that time, Miller amassed 172 points (72 goals, 100 assists) in 341 games played. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2017-18 season where he spent one-plus seasons. The 31-year-old center then was traded to the Canucks where he had his most successful individual seasons.

In his seventh season with Vancouver, Miller has played 404 games and amassed 437 points (152 goals, 285 assists). He signed a seven-year, $56 million contract in September 2022, after having an NHL-career high 99 points (32 goals, 67 assists) the previous season. He then topped that with 103 points (37 goals, 66 assists) and was plus-32 last season. This season, however, has been a down one for Miller. He has 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) and is minus-4 in 39 games this season. He also took a 10-game personal leave of absence in November into December.

A Miller trade seemed inevitable after word got out that there was a rift between him and center Elias Petterson.

“I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved,” said Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford. “But it only gets resolved for a short period of time and then it festers again, and so it certainly appears like there’s not a good solution that would keep this group together.”

Chytil, 25, was the 21st overall pick in the 2017 draft of the Rangers and is in his eighth season with the Blue Shirts. Over 378 games, Chytil has scored 164 points (75 goals, 89 assists). This season, Chytil has 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) across 41 games.

The first-round draft pick the Rangers are sending Vancouver is top-13 protected. If the Rangers are in the top 13 this season, it would become unprotected next year. Entering Friday, the Rangers are 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-22-4 record (52 points). They are five points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second and final Wild Card spot.

New York's next game is Saturday afternoon against the Bruins in Boston, a team ahead of them in the Wild Card chase.

This story is still developing...

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