1 player Rangers must acquire before 2025 NHL trade deadline

J.T. Miller is certainly a talented hockey player. Moreover, he has a familiarity with New York that makes a deal easier for the team. However, the team already has an aging core. Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Mika Zibanejad are all north of 30 years old.

Moreover, some of these players have struggled. In fact, one of the Rangers’ prime trade candidates this year is Kreider. They have even demoted him to the fourth line at times this season. Miller is 31 years old, which would add another aging player to an already aging core.

Elias Pettersson is not a young prospect anymore, but he has youth on his side. The Canucks star is 26 years old and entering his prime years. He could inject much-needed youth into a team that could certainly use a long-term option. Especially in the middle of the ice.

Pettersson is also a fantastic hockey player. Two seasons ago, he cracked the 100-point plateau for the first time. He has struggled to match that production, to be fair. But a change of scenery could help with this. If the reports of a rift with Miller are true, getting away from that situation could help him focus more on hockey.

The complication here for the Rangers is Pettersson’s cap hit. The Canucks star is signed at a monstrous $11.6 million cap hit for the next several years. Another consideration is the upcoming no-movement clause. Vancouver can move Pettersson freely before July 1, 2025. After that, he receives a full no-movement clause until the end of his contract in 2032.

There is certainly significant risk in trading for Pettersson. However, the move makes a lot of sense for the Rangers. They need an injection of talent. And they need talent entering their prime years. Pettersson checks off both boxes. It is a complicated move, but it would benefit New York if they could get it done before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.