The Rangers had lost the first three games of a four-game homestand and dropped out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference before the Vancouver Canucks came to Madison Square Garden. After the Rangers honored longtime TV play-by-play man Sam Rosen, who’s retiring after this season, the Canucks dominated the game in almost every facet – except the one that counted.

The home side made the most of its 12 shots on goal, scoring four times in the third period for a 5-3 victory in a game it realistically had no right to win.

The victory pulled the Rangers (34-31-6) within one point of the Montreal Canadiens (33-27-9), who had to settle for one point when they overcame a three-goal third-period deficit against the Colorado Avalanche only to lose 5-4 in a shootout. The Rangers moved one point ahead of the New York Islanders (32-28-9), who lost 4-3 in overtime to the Calgary Flames. Montreal and the Islanders each have two games in hand on the Blueshirts.

Before Jonny Brodzinski’s second goal of the third period with 4:13 remaining in regulation put the Rangers ahead to stay, the day belonged to Igor Shesterkin, who made 36 saves on a day his team was outshot 39-12 (11 plus J.T. Miller’s empty-netter with 13 seconds remaining). It was the second time in three games that the Rangers were outshot by more than 20; the Calgary Flames had a 35-13 margin in their 2-1 win at the Garden on Tuesday.

Brodzinski said there was “a little bit of yelling in the room” between the second and third periods after the Rangers were outshot 24-6 through 40 minutes but were tied 1-1 thanks to Shesterkin’s superb play.

The message was simple: “We’re doing too many things to hurt ourselves,” he said. “We’re not finishing checks. We weren’t getting pucks deep, and when we were, we had one guy going hard (and) we had two guys kind of sitting back in our lock. Just play way more direct, a little bit more simple, and good things happen.”

Unlike the previous three losses during the homestand, in which they managed a total of one goal in the third period, the Rangers stepped up their game. They scored four times on six shots and got 13 saves from Shesterkin, who stood especially tall in the final 2:15 after the Canucks pulled goaltender Kevin Lankinen.

For the first time in a while, the Rangers found a way to win a close game. With time running out and one of the toughest remaining schedules in the NHL – including a three-game California trip that begins Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings —  they’ll need to keep doing just that.

Related: Rangers prospect Noah Laba ‘exactly as advertised,’ scores goal in pro debut

Three takeaways from Rangers’ much-needed win against Canucks

Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s vital victory against Vancouver.

1. Perfect end to a perfect day

The Rangers always do ceremonies well, and the festivities honoring Rosen were no exception.

From bringing back his pre-Joe Micheletti partners, Phil Esposito and John Davidson, to the video and the speeches, the Rangers honored Rosen for his 40 years behind the mike with MSG Networks. Every plaudit was well-earned – just ask our own Jim Cerny.

But the day was almost a dud. The first two periods were an exercise in futility; only Shesterkin’s heroics kept the game even at 1-1 through 40 minutes. However, the Rangers made the most of their opportunities in the third period, scoring three times on five shots while taking advantage of a couple of defensive breakdowns by the Canucks — and getting a break when K’Andre Miller’s shot hit the leg of Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (the best skater on either team) and went past goaltender Kevin Lankinen to put the Rangers up 3-2.

KEY FINDS THE BACK OF THE NET. pic.twitter.com/HtdpES3zeJ

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 22, 2025

“It was kind of a mixed bag,” said J.T. Miller, who had an assist and an empty-net goal in his first game against the team that traded him to the Rangers on Jan. 31. “They probably outplayed us for most of the game today, but we stuck with it. I thought our best period was in the third period. You definitely don’t want to give up that many after you give up the lead, what, three times? We’ll take the points this time of year though.”

2. Here’s Jonny

The Rangers have struggled to get offense from their bottom-six forwards for the past three months. That’s one reason Brodzinski’s big afternoon was so rewarding.

The journeyman center had his second two-goal game this season – and the second of his career – against the Canucks. His nine goals in just 40 games are three more than he had in 57 games last season.

“I liked the responses in the third period,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “If we scored, they scored, the game came back to even and we put it back in there again. Obviously, Jonny had a big third period for us too. It was nice to get responses in the third period and get the win.”

3. More Igor heroics

Shesterkin is the biggest reason the Rangers stole two points.

With all respect to future Hockey Hall of Famer Jonathan Quick, if coach Peter Laviolette had opted to sit his No. 1 goalie against Vancouver, we’d likely be talking about another loss. No. 31 was superb from the opening face-off to the final buzzer. There were times, especially in the first two periods, when he looked like he was out there trying to fend off the Flames all by himself.

The Rangers became only the second team this season to win a game with 12 or fewer shots on goal – and one of those was into an empty net. Shesterkin was the reason they had a chance to win.

“There’s a reason why they paid him so much money,” a smiling Brodzinski said. “He’s the best goalie in the league.”

Jonny Brodzinski’s second goal of the game with 4:13 remaining in regulation broke a tie, and the Rangers boosted their playoff chances with a 5-3 victory that enabled them to avoid being swept on a four-game homestand.

Brodzinski, who had given the Rangers their first lead of the game when he scored 1:39 into the third period, beat Kevin Lankinen from the left circle just 37 seconds after Vancouver’s Brock Boeser had tied the game 3-3.

LAF WITH THE FEED + JONNY B. BURIES IT. pic.twitter.com/uzSCKk7q7z

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 22, 2025

The win moved the Rangers (34-31-6) within one point of the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens (33-27-8) overcame a three-goal deficit in the third period against the Colorado Avalanche to get to overtime and assure themselves of a point, but they missed out on the second point when they lost 5-4 in a shootout — with former New York Islanders center Brock Nelson helping out his old team and its biggest rival by scoring the game-deciding goal.

The Rangers are one point ahead of the Islanders (32-28-9), who had to settle for one point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames. However, the Canadiens and Isles each have two games in hand on the Rangers, as do the Columbus Blue Jackets (31-29-9), who trail the Rangers by three points and the Canadiens by four.

Adam Fox and K’Andre Miller also scored, and Alexis Lafreniere had his first three-assist game for the Rangers before J.T. Miller’s length-of-the-ice empty-net goal with 17 seconds remaining iced the win. Miller, facing his former team for the first time since being acquired from the Canucks on Jan. 31, also had the primary assist on Brodzinski’s first goal.

“We stuck with it,” he said. “Our best period was the third period.”

But the biggest reason the Rangers found a way to win despite being outshot 39-12 was another superb performance by Igor Shesterkin, who finished with 36 saves and at times in the first two periods appeared to be playing 1-on-5. Nine of his saves came against Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, the 2024 Norris Trophy winner, who was flying all day.

“That’s why they pay him so much money,” Brodzinski joked about Shesterkin. “He’s the best goalie in the League.”

Hughes’ first-period shot turned into a rebound goal by Dakota Joshua, but he wasn’t able to get a puck past Shesterkin and had K’Andre Miller’s shot hit his leg and deflect past Lankinen at 7:20 to make it 3-2.

With the Rangers heading to California for three games, beginning Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings, this was a game they had to have. Unlike a number of other times in recent weeks, they found another gear in the third period and got a desperately needed two points,

Related: Rangers shake up stagnant power play after ‘dismal’ stretch of futility

New York Rangers 5 – Vancouver Canucks 3

After the pregame ceremonies honoring Rosen ended, neither team generated much offense in the early going.

The Rangers went more than five minutes before generating their first shot on goal. Shesterkin made a good early stop on Nils Hoglander’s wide-open shot from the right circle and got a little piece of Jake DeBrusk’s deflection near the seven-minute mark to keep the puck out.

But Matt Rempe’s shot 5:16 into the game was the Rangers’ lone test of Lankinen until the Canucks opened the scoring at 11:51.

Hughes made a great move to shake free of Rempe and get off a shot from the left circle that Shesterkin stopped. However, Joshua got position on former teammate Carson Soucy in front of the net, bounced the first rebound off the post and banged in a second try to put the Canucks ahead 1-0.

Vancouver continued to dominate play, leaving Lankinen by himself for minutes at a time while white jerseys buzzed around the Rangers’ zone. Only Shesterkin’s brilliance kept the deficit to one goal. The Rangers skated off to what’s become a familiar sound at the Garden – a chorus of boos – after being outshot 11-1, out-attempted 24-8 and allowing eight high-danger chances in the penalty-free period while getting just one of their own, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Alexis Lafreniere’s harmless wrister five seconds into the second period drew sarcastic cheers as Lankinen made the easy save. The Canucks then resumed dominating play, but Shesterkin was flawless, helping the Rangers kill a holding penalty to Rempe and an 11-second 5-on-3 advantage after he was called for roughing at 7:45.

DeBrusk’s roughing penalty ended that power play, but the Rangers passed the midway point of the game with just three shots on goal. No. 4 was the charm.

Fox scored one of the more unusual goals of his career at 11:01 to get the Rangers even at 1-1. He waved his stick while doing a fly-by and happened to get a piece of Braden Schneider’s point shot, deflecting it past Lankinen for his sixth of the season. At that point, the Rangers were even on the scoreboard despite being outshot 21-4.

Schneids with the shot + Foxy tips it in. pic.twitter.com/LRxMjcvzP3

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 22, 2025

The Canucks got another power play with 46 seconds left when DeBrusk and Will Cuylle each got roughing penalties, but Cuylle also got called for cross-checking. The period ended even at 1-1, although the Canucks outshot the Rangers 13-5 and had a 24-6 edge through 40 minutes. The one area the Rangers had a significant edge was in hits, 39-27.

“There was some yelling in the locker room after the second period,” Brodzinski said.

After Brodzinski put the Rangers ahead 2-1, Rempe had a chance to extend the lead after a giveaway – but ex-Rangers defenseman Victor Mancini got a piece of the shot.

Shesty hugs for all. pic.twitter.com/3gJq11kr1G

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 22, 2025

Mancini then made the play that got the Canucks even with 8:38 remaining. Mancini, part of the package the Canucks received in the Miller trade, carried the puck around the net and set up O’Connor in the slot. O’Connor’s first shot hit a leg, but the puck came right back to him for a quick wrister that beat Shesterkin to make it 2-2.

K’Andre Miller’s goal at 12:40 made it 3-2, but Boeser tied it at 15:10 when he came out from behind the net and whipped a shot past Shesterkin to get the Canucks even. The tie didn’t last long — Brodzinski’s second goal put the Rangers in front again, this time for good.

New York leads the Montreal Canadiens (32-27-7) by one point. However, the Canadiens have two games in hand, and they’re 7-1-2 in their past 10 games following a 3-1 home win against Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers on Saturday. The Rangers are two points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets after playing perhaps their best game of the season in a 4-0 win at Nationwide Arena on Saturday night. But the Blue Jackets (31-27-8) also have two games in hand and a slightly better point percentage than the Rangers (.529 to .528).

The Rangers were so dominant in the win at Columbus that Igor Shesterkin had to make just 21 saves, few of them difficult. Rangers coach Peter Laviolette decided that his No. 1 goalie hadn’t been severely taxed against Columbus and opted to start Shesterkin in both ends of back-to-back games for just the fifth time in his NHL career and the first since February 2023.

Shesterkin wasn’t awful while starting for the fourth time in six days, but he allowed the go-ahead goal to Edmonton’s Victor Arvidsson at 6:09 of the third period, then surrendered a late goal to Connor McDavid that put the game away.

The game against the Oilers was the first of four in a row at the Garden against teams from Canada, each of whom have better records than the Rangers. New York has to improve on its 16-15-3 mark at home if it wants to keep ahead of a group of challengers that also includes the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders, each of whom could catch the Rangers by winning their games in hand.

Who’s hot

Artemi Panarin is riding a nine-game point streak after assisting on Will Cuylle’s goal against the Oilers. He reached the 70-point mark with a goal and an assist in the win at Columbus, giving him five seasons with 70-plus points in as many full seasons since joining the Rangers as a free agent in the summer of 2019. He’s one goal shy of his third 30-goal season with New York.

Who’s not

Chris Kreider took an 0-fer last week, held without a point in four games and taking only six shots on goal. With 18 goals and 22 points in 54 games, he’s on track for his worst season since finishing with 16 goals and 37 points in 58 games in 2017-18.

Related: 3 Rangers takeaways from disappointing 3-1 loss to Oilers

Rangers lookahead this week includes …

The final three games of a 15-day stretch that will see the Rangers play nine times.

Calgary Flames at Rangers (March 18, 7 p.m. ET; MSG)

The Flames’ 3-2 win in Calgary on Nov. 21 is the line of demarcation in the Rangers season. New York came to Scotiabank Saddledome with a 12-4-1 record and appeared to be on course to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a fourth straight season, if not a repeat as Presidents’ Trophy winners. The loss began a 19-game stretch through the end of 2024 in which they were 4-15-0 and dropped out of the top eight in the East.

Calgary is in a playoff battle of its own. The Flames enter the week two points behind the Vancouver Canucks, who hold the second wild card in the Western Conference, and they’ll be playing the second of a back-to-back set after beginning a four-game road trip against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday.

With Shesterkin having played four games in six days through Sunday, don’t be surprised if Jonathan Quick gets the start. Quick is 15-11-5 against the Flames in his career with an excellent 2.26 goals-against average and .910 save percentage.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Rangers (March 20, 7 p.m.; MSG2)

While the Rangers battle for a playoff spot, the Maple Leafs are in a three-way brawl for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Toronto starts the week tied for second with the Lightning; both are four points behind the Panthers with two games in hand.

The Rangers and Maple Leafs split their first two games this season, with New York winning 4-1 at Toronto on Oct. 19 and Toronto winning its third straight at the Garden by edging the Rangers 3-2 on Feb. 28.

Auston Matthews has just 24 goals in 51 games after scoring 69 times for the Maple Leafs last season. He’s been a point-a-game player against the Rangers, with 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 23 games. That includes a goal and an assist in the two games this season.

Shesterkin is 6-3-2 lifetime against Toronto, including 1-1-0 this season, with a 2.53 GAA and .919 save percentage.

Vancouver Canucks at Rangers (March 22, 1 p.m. MSG/NHL Network)

Expect the Garden crowd to arrive early for the Saturday matinee since the Rangers salute Sam Rosen, their longtime TV voice, in a pregame ceremony honoring him for his 40 seasons behind the mic. Rosen has been calling Rangers games since 1984 and announced before the start of the season that this would be his last in the broadcast booth.

When the puck drops, J.T. Miller will be playing the team that traded him to the Rangers on Jan. 31 for the first time since the deal.

Miller has given the Rangers a boost with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 17 games. New York’s first pick (No. 15) in the 2011 NHL Draft had career highs in goals (37), assists (66) and points (103) last season for Vancouver.

It would be nice if Filip Chytil made his first return to MSG since being traded to Vancouver in the Miller deal. However, Chytil is in concussion protocol and questionable to play Saturday.

The Rangers have won four of their past five against the Canucks, including a 4-3 win at Vancouver on Nov. 19 that marked the high point of their season.

Mika Zibanejad has 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 21 games against the Canucks, including a goal and an assist in the win at Vancouver in November.

Considering Chytil’s history of head injuries and concussions, it was frightening to watch him get run from behind along the boards late in the third period of a 6-2 Vancouver Canucks win against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Chytil had just played the puck, when Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson crushed him from behind with a massive check. Chytil’s head whiplashed as he crumpled to the ice. After a few moments, Chytil attempted to get up, fell back down, then finally got up on his own and groggily skated off the ice and went straight to the Canucks dressing room with 4:42 remaining in the game.

Filip Chytil went straight to the dressing room after getting hit from behind by Jason Dickinson. pic.twitter.com/UZytsJyP1N

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 16, 2025

Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet didn’t have an update on Chytil’s condition postgame.

“It was a pretty bad hit so we’ll see how he is,” Tocchet said.

Tocchet added he was not given an explanation for why Dickinson was not penalized on the play.

UPDATE: Filip Chytil out against Utah on Sunday night

The Canucks coach met with reporters before their game Sunday against the Utah Hockey Club and, though he didn’t use the word concussion, said Chytil would not play and is in “protocol.”

“I talked to him today a little bit,” Tocchet explained. “He felt OK, nothing great. He’ll go through the every day to see how he feels type of thing. He has had a few (concussions) in the past and we’ll see how this thing turns out.

“Sometimes, they can rapidly turn, so you’ve got to stay positive.”

The Canucks, who hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, host the Utah Hockey Club in a crucial contest Sunday at Rogers Arena.

Chytil has six points (two goals, four assists) and is minus-11 in 15 games with the Canucks after he was traded to them by the Rangers in the J.T. Miller acquisition on Jan. 31. The 25-year-old doesn’t have a point in his past six games.

Related: Winners, losers from Rangers crucial 4-0 win against Blue Jackets

Former Rangers center Filip Chytil appears to sustain another scary injury

Chytil played parts of eight seasons with the Rangers after they selected him in the first round (No. 21 overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft. He had career highs with 22 goals, 23 assists and 45 points in 2022-23, but much of his tenure in New York was overshadowed by injuries and inconsistent play.

Most notably, Chytil missed the final 72 regular-season games a year ago because of a concussion. His original comeback was short-circuited in January, when he sustained a setback, believed to be another concussion or head injury.

Chytil did return during the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes. Far from his best, Chytil was held without a point in six postseason games against the them and Florida Panthers.

But playing in those games helped prove to Chytil that he was again healthy, and he showed up to Rangers training camp this past Fall in great shape and state of mind. A strong start centering the Rangers effective third line hit a bump in the road when Chytil sustained an injury after colliding with teammate K’Andre Miller on Nov. 14. Doctors said he didn’t sustain a concussion but Chytil still missed seven games.

In 41 games with the Rangers this season, Chytil scored 11 goals and had 20 points, averaging 14:20 TOI. He’s averaging two minutes more of ice time with the Canucks, but his production is down since being acquired from the Rangers.

But now there are familiar concerns about his short- and long-term health.

THIS IS AN EVOLVING STORY. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES ON FILIP CHYTIL’S CONDITION

The Soucy trade was made more possible by a move the Rangers made a few hours prior, when they dealt forward Reilly Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and forward prospect Brendan Brisson.

Welcome to New York, Carson! pic.twitter.com/C9PauRlkin

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 7, 2025

The Rangers then flipped that third-rounder, which is the San Jose Sharks pick so will be among the first selections of the that round, to the Canucks for Soucy, who plays a similar game to Lindgren, though come in a much bigger package (6-foot-5, 208 pounds).

The 30-year-old has played 349 NHL games with the Minnesota Wild, Seattle Kraken and Canucks; he was teammates in Seattle with Rangers defenseman Will Borgen and Vancouver with forward J.T. Miller.

Related: NHL Trade Deadline — Chris Drury executing multi-faceted game plan for Rangers

Grading Rangers trade with Canucks for Carson Soucy

Members of the Forever Blueshirts staff analyze and grade the Rangers trade to acquire defenseman Carson Soucy from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Jim Cerny – Executive Editor – Grade: B+

You can’t grade this trade in a vacuum. You must factor in the the Smith trade too, because that’s where this third-round pick to acquire Soucy came from. Really, it was all very well executed by Drury. The Rangers land a big, physical defenseman with a solid pedigree — though in the midst of a so-so season — who’s not a rental. So, Soucy is part of the Rangers plan in the top four of their defense corps the rest of this season and next, and an affordable one at that ($3.25 million AAV). Nice. Even nicer is that ultimately it cost them only an unrestricted free agent whom they had zero interest in retaining (Smith). Assuming K’Andre Miller re-signs as an RFA this summer, that’s two sturdy left-shot d-men in the top four — though if you were hoping for a Jakob Chychrun signing in the offseason, this probably wipes that out. All in all, well done by the Rangers, who immediately improve on the ice and remain positioned financially to be major players in free agency this summer.

John Kreiser – Senior Writer – Grade: B+

Drury made a nice move bringing in Soucy, a big shutdown defenseman who should make life a little easier for Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. The 30-year-old isn’t much of a scorer (three goals and 10 points in 59 games with the Vancouver Canucks this season), but was second on the Canucks with 92 blocked shots and fifth with 86 hits – one of 18 players in the League with 90+ blocks and 85+ hits. Think of him as a replacement for Lindgren.

Even better is that Soucy is not a rental. He has another season left on a three-year contract — unlike Lindgren, who can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and wasn’t going to be resigned by the Rangers. Drury also got him for basically nothing – the price was the third-round pick he obtained from the Golden Knights a few hours earlier for Smith, another pending UFA who wasn’t going to be re-signed. Soucy isn’t a star, but he can play up and down the lineup – he was paired with another of this season’s acquisitions, Borgen, when they were with the Kraken together. The trade does two things: It improves the roster this season as the Rangers push for a playoff spot, and gives them a good player who will be around for at least one more season.

Tom Castro – Staff Writer – Grade: A

Drury made a sneaky-good move in acquiring the big defenseman Soucy from the Canucks for the third-round pick acquired in the Smith trade. Looking to replace the gritty presence of the departed Lindgren, the Rangers general manager added a 6-foot-5, 208-pound left-shot defender who plays a downright nasty game at times. Soucy provides so much of what the Rangers are desperate for: Physicality in his own zone, and the strength and size to keep the front of his net clear, while playing with constant edge and compete level in puck battles.

Soucy is signed through next season at a reasonable salary-cap hit, keeping this acquisition in line with Drury’s desire to avoid giving up assets for rental properties as he looks to remake the team for the near future. Soucy’s arrival also fits the GM’s mission to transform the Rangers into a tougher group. The fifth-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft could be paired with Adam Fox when he returns from his upper-body injury, or reunited with Borgen, with whom Soucy paired for 109 games during their time with the Kraken. Drury has procured strong value here for a third-round pick, albeit one that’s expected to be high in that round because it originally belonged to the Sharks.

Dane Walsh – Staff Writer – Grade: B

Trading Smith was another housekeeping move by Drury. The Rangers were not going to re-sign him, so rather than letting him walk in the summer for no return, they sent him back to the Golden Knights where he won the Stanley Cup in 2023. Drury then flips the 3rd rounder in the return for Soucy, which fills a hole on defense. The Rangers really needed a left shot on the back end. They also get Brisson who is an intriguing prospect from Vegas. Brisson was incredible at the University of Michigan, but has yet to become a consistent NHL player. With 19 points in 45 AHL games this season, he’ll provide a nice boost to the Hartford Wolf Pack as he continues to develop. He’ll definitely be a prospect to keep an eye on heading into next season. The Rangers get a good return for Smith, but what’s more intriguing is what comes next. They now have a plethora of defenseman on the roster, which makes me think a bigger move for a top-3 defenseman is next. 

“I would like to thank everyone in the New York Rangers organization, especially my teammates, staff members, and the fans for support throughout the last seven years,” Chytil said. “There are a lot of great memories which I will keep with me for the rest of my life. But, now I am enjoying every single minute in Vancouver and can’t describe how happy I am to be part of the Canucks organization!”

Filip Chytil shares his goodbye message to @NYRangers via Instagram. pic.twitter.com/r2stYL1Pq4

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) February 11, 2025

It was a rollercoaster ride over eight seasons in New York for Chytil, after being selected in the first round (No. 21 overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft. Over that time, he suited up in 378 games, and scored 75 goals to go along with 89 assists for 164 points. His development took time, but he’s evolved into a very solid two-way player over his career.

Unfortunately, Chytil suffered numerous setbacks due to multiple head injuries. Just when he was coming off of a NHL career-high 22 goal and 45-point season in 2022-23, he sustained his most major setback, which caused him to play just 10 regular-season games in 2023-24.

Related: Igor SHesterkin high standard has been ‘compromised’ this season, Dave Maloney says

Filip Chytil returns to New York to face Rangers in March

Chytil persevered, and made his return at the start of 2024-25 for the Rangers, scoring in the opening game of the season against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Chytil had 11 goals and 20 points in 41 games for the Rangers before being dealt to Vancouver in what was a difficult, but necessary move for the Rangers.

In four games thus far with his new team, Chytil has logged one goal and two assists while averaging 18:39 TOI, over four minutes higher than his average with the Rangers this season, 14:20.

Chytil started his Canuck career with a bang, scoring in his first game with them against the Detroit Red Wings to tie the game at two, albeit on the way to an eventual overtime loss.

Chytil will make his return to Madison Square Garden on March 22 when the Canucks visit the Rangers, and the Blueshirt Faithful can return the well wishes that Chytil shared on Instagram on Tuesday.

It all left the 25-year-old Vancouver Canucks center pretty emotional after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

“It meant a lot to me. In the moment, there was so many emotions in my head,” Chytil said about his goal, which tied the game 2-2 at 10:46 of the third period.

WELCOME TO THE CANUCKS, FILIP CHYTIL❗️ pic.twitter.com/ONDpOTlDSr

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 3, 2025

Chytil showed great patience, collecting a loose puck off the rush, gliding to his left until he found a lane and then snapped a shot past Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon. It was a hint of what he can bring to the Canucks top six, and it was a clutch goal, one that helped the Canucks grab a point in the standings.

“There were some guys in front of me, and even some guys behind trying to strip the puck from me. Yeah, I saw that there wasn’t an open lane to shoot right away, so I was holding it as long as I could,” Chytil explained. “I’m happy it went in.”

The goal was part of a strong Canucks debut for Chytil, who was traded by the Rangers on Friday along with defenseman Victor Mancini and a protected first-round pick in this year’s draft to Vancouver for forward J.T. Miller, defenseman Erik Brannstrom and a defense prospect.

Skating on a line with Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua, Chytil logged 20:03 TOI, had three shots on goal and five shot attempts, and won nine of 12 face-offs. He was on ice for Alex Debrincat’s first-period goal against and DeBrincat’s game-winner at 4:18 of overtime.

But that line was excellent 5v5, out-chancing the opposition 7-3 and posting a whopping xGF of 80.66 percent, per Natural Stat Trick.

“Really good,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet quickly answered when asked postgame about Chytil’s debut. “Controlling the play, wanting the puck. Off the rush, obviously he’s a guy that can make some plays off the rush. Obviously, a big goal for us. So, it was a good debut for him.”

Related: J.T. Miller trade grades for Rangers, Canucks

Filip Chytil admits to ‘lot of emotions’ following trade from Rangers

Those 20 minutes Chytil played Sunday were roughly six minutes more than he was averging with the Rangers in 41 games this season. In fact, the most TOI Chytil’s averaged in the NHL was last season, when he started off between Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere and sat at 15:56 through 10 games until he was concussed and missed the rest of the regular season.

Vincent Trocheck took Chytil’s place on that line and the No. 21 overall pick in the 2017 draft was back in his usual third-line role this season. The opportunity in Vancouver is there for him to play a much bigger role since he’s in essence replacing Miller in the lineup behind star center Elias Pettersson.

The 20+ minutes he logged Sunday all came at even strength, including when he was sent out to start overtime.

“I was very happy that I got that opportunity to be there,” Chytil said.

As for being traded, Chytil admitted he’s still working through his feelings.

“It’s seven-and-a-half years with one team and you’re traded for the first time, it’s very hard and a lot of emotions in the head,” he explained. “But right away when I jumped in the warmup and saw the fans in the building and saw how everyone was pumped up for the game, I started to feel like this is the team where I want to be.”

The Rangers (24-22-4) enter their game against the Boston Bruins on Saturday 13th in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second wild and seven in arrears of the surprising Columbus Blue Jackets for the top wild card. A 4-15-0 stretch in November and December nearly submarined their season, but a 10-game point streak (7-0-3) in January has got them back in the playoff picture.

The Miller trade is the third one made by general manager Chris Drury this season as he sought to change the look of New York’s core. Will Borgen, acquired from the Seattle Kraken for forward Kaapo Kakko, is now an important part of the top four on defense and already earned a five-year, $20.5 million contract extension. Defenseman Urho Vaakainen, who arrived from the Anaheim Ducks in the Jacob Trouba trade, is a regular on the third defense pair.

But those trades pale in comparison to adding Miller, a potential game changer for the Rangers.

Related: Rangers Daily – J.T. Miller trade fallout; Canucks add another Pettersson

Grading New York Rangers acquisition of J.T. Miller

In all honesty, it’s not fair to grade a trade right after it happens. No one can say for sure how things will play out for Miller in New York, there are a myriad of factors that can take place this season and in the years to come.

But, based on what we know and believe right this second, let’s hand out some grades. It’s a fun project. And trust me, we will be revisiting and reevaluating this trade for years to come.

New York Rangers trade grade: B+

This grade has the potential to rise or fall significantly. But right now, B+ seems a fair grade for the Rangers.

They received the best player by far in the trade, and didn’t mortgage their future or tear apart the roster to do so. Unlike Filip Chytil, another former first-round pick by the Rangers who was dealt to the Canucks in this trade, Miller is both durable and consistently productive. He’s scored 20+ goals seven times, including 30+ each of the past three seasons. Like his buddy Chris Kreider, Miller is getting much better as he gets older. His three most productive seasons have come in succession with the Canucks, including an NHL career-high 103 points last season.

#NYR Trade Details: pic.twitter.com/lLsM1QUuI0

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 1, 2025

Miller is a skilled playmaker and brings physicality and attitude to the Rangers forward group. When he’s on, Miller is a bull, one who’s equally powerful and quick on his skates. His addition makes the Rangers extremely deep down the middle with Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck — that’s a handful for the opposition. And maybe that jumpstarts Zibanejad if he’s freed up now from playing against other teams’ top forwards.

With Miller and Trocheck, the Rangers also have two of the top face-off men in the League, an underrated but important part of why this is such a good trade for New York.

An abrasive personality, yet at the same time a largely likeable teammate, Miller will shake up the vanilla Rangers core. He brings an edge on and off the ice. The Rangers need that just as much, if not more, than his vast skill set.

There’s reason for concern, of course, too. Miller turns 32 next month and his $8 million annual contract through 2029-30 likely won’t look so pretty down the road. The question is — and the reason why final trade grades take years to properly figure out — when will that eventual downturn take place and how much will Miller and the Rangers accomplish before then?

Miller dipped to nine goals and 35 points in 40 games this season and his commitment to playing defense is often in question. That 10-game leave of absence for personal reasons earlier this season certainly raises a red flag — as does his role in whatever went on with teammate Elias Pettersson in Vancouver, which precipitated this trade in the first place.

But at the end of the day, the Rangers landed a perfect fit for their lineup and locker room, landed one of the best players on the market and did so for a nice price. This one’s a win for the Rangers.

If defenseman Erik Brannstrom finally comes close to what was expected of him when he was a first-round pick (No. 15 overall) by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, then this trade grade would jump right up into the A category.

Vancouver Canucks trade grade: C+

The Canucks were in a brutal position here and ultimately had to take a below-market return for one of their best players. Canucks president Jim Rutherford went on the record to state that the Miller-Pettersson situation was untenable, so everyone in the League knew one of the star centers had to go. That didn’t help Vancouver’s negotiating stance. Neither did Miller owning a full no-move clause. Miller reportedly only wanted to go to a team in the Northeast and pretty much steered the Canucks to the Rangers.

But the Canucks received Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini and a protected first-round pick in the 2025 draft. They already traded that pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins to help land defenseman Marcus Pettersson (can’t have enough Petterssons in Vancouver; the Canucks now have three). So, that already makes this a bit of a better return, at least in the short run, for the Canucks.

Chytil is the X-factor in this trade. At 25, Chytil still hasn’t reached his prime and he certainly flashed this season and years prior for the Rangers. But injuries — especially concussions — have slowed his progress and nearly derailed his career. The fear here is that one more head injury and Chytil’s career could come to a premature end.

He’s never topped 22 goals nor 45 points in a season, but Chytil’s never really been a top-six regular either. He should get that chance in Vancouver. Perhaps, like the early results from Kakko in Seattle, Chytil’s game will take off with the Canucks. Here’s hoping so. He’s a talented player and an even better teammate.

The need to keep Mancini in New York decreased when Borgen signed his extension. That put three right-hand shots on the blue line in New York ahead of Mancini, who could get a better chance with the Canucks. He showed flashes offensively as an early-season success story before his defensive game cratered. But he’s a good add for the Canucks, who also made the savvy play by acquiring Pettersson. They haven’t given up on this season yet, and may have saved it by cleaning up an ugly distraction with Miller and Elias Pettersson.

It’s a C+ despite trading away the best player in the deal, mainly because of the obstacles the Canucks faced.

The Rangers acquired the controversial but high-scoring center from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, along with Jackson Dorrington, a 20-year-old defenseman playing for Northeastern University, and 25-year-old defenseman Erik Brannstrom.

In exchange, the Canucks receive center Filip Chytil, rookie defenseman Victor Mancini and a top-13 protected first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, which they quickly sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins in another trade; the Penguins will get New York’s unprotected first-rounder in 2026 if this year’s first-rounder is among the first 13 picks.

Miller, who agreed to waive his no-movement clause, was listed as a scratch by the Canucks for their road game against the Dallas Stars and left American Airlines Center before puck drop Friday.

Miller is expected to join the Rangers in time for their game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday afternoon. The Rangers can use him — they’ve lost their past two games in regulation and dropped back to 13th place in the Eastern Conference, five points out of the second wild card.

“On behalf of the entire Canucks organization I want to thank J.T. for his time here in Vancouver,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said. “J.T. was a passionate impact player and good leader for our hockey team. Moving him was not an easy decision but we are pleased with our return from the Rangers. Both Filip and Victor are good additions for our club and we are excited to see what they bring to us on the ice.”

It’s the third major trade by the Rangers in the past eight weeks, but the first one in which the biggest name comes to New York. The Rangers traded their captain, defenseman Jacob Trouba, to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6 and sent forward Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken two weeks later. Their return was defensemen Urho Vaakanainen and Will Borgen, plus three draft picks.

#NYR Trade Details: pic.twitter.com/lLsM1QUuI0

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 1, 2025

The Rangers reportedly were near a trade last week for Miller, who had NHL career highs of 37 goals and 103 points last season, but the deal fell through. The 31-year-old has nine goals and 35 points in 40 games this season, and he’s seventh in the NHL with a 58.6 face-off percentage. Miller took a personal leave of absence in November and missed 10 games before returning to the ice on Dec. 12.

Miller and Canucks star Elias Pettersson reportedly have been feuding, and Vancouver president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford confirmed Thursday that the tension between the two was negatively impacting the team. He insinuated that the only way to solve this issue would be to break them up, which is what happened on Friday.

“I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it, including the parties involved … 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,” Rutherford said.

Related: NHL insider warns Rangers to do their ‘homework’ before making J.T. Miller trade

J.T. Miller returning to Rangers in trade with Canucks

The Rangers selected Miller in the first round (No. 15) of the 2011 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut with the Rangers on Feb. 5, 2013, became a regular in 2014-15 and had back-to-back 22-goal seasons for New York in 2015-16 and 2016-17, when he finished with 56 points and was plus-17.

Back where it all began.

A Ranger through + through. pic.twitter.com/PYrkCtBxt5

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 1, 2025

But the Rangers struggled in 2017-18, and Miller was shipped out to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 26, 2018 along with captain Ryan McDonagh. Miller had 10 goals and 18 points in 19 games for the Lightning during the remainder of the 2017-18 season. But after a 13-goal, 47-point season in 2018-19, the Lightning shipped him to the Canucks in June 2019.

Miller became a better than a point-per-game player with the Canucks, piling up 437 points (152 goals, 285 assists) in 404 games. He had 284 points (101 goals, 183 assists) in 242 games from 2021-22 to 2023-24.

He is in the second season of a seven-year, $56 million contract that carries an $8 million cap hit.

Brannstrom has yet to make an impact in the NHL despite being selected in the first round (No. 15) of the 2017 NHL Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights. He had eight points (three goals, five assists) and was minus-4 in 28 games during this season, his first, with the Canucks, who acquired him from the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 4. The Avalanche had signed him on July 2 after he spent five seasons with the Ottawa Senators, recording 69 points (seven goals, 62 assists) in 266 games.

Dorrington has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 23 games at Northeastern University this season. In three collegiate seasons, he has 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists) in 91 games.

The biggest piece going back to the Canucks is Chytil, who’s been effective when he can stay on the ice but has been plagued by injuries, particularly concussions, during his eight seasons with the Rangers. The No. 21 pick in the 2017 draft missed all but 10 games during the regular season in 2023-24 because of a concussion and has missed 10 games this season because of injuries.

In 41 games this season, Chytil has 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) and is plus-4. His best offensive season came in 2022-23, when he had 22 goals and 45 points in 75 games. In 378 games with the Rangers, he had 164 points (75 goals, 89 assists).

The 25-year-old from Czechia is in the second season of a four-year, $17.75 million contract ($4.44 million average annual value).

Mancini, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft, surprised everyone by making the Rangers out of training camp this season, just a few months after turning pro and playing seven games with Hartford of the American Hockey League. The 22-year-old had five points (one goal, four assists) in 15 games with the Rangers before being sent down to Hartford.

That makes the job for the New York Rangers, who are in the midst of that scrum for a playoff berth, that much harder — and the Blue Jackets could cause the Blueshirts’ task to become all the more difficult if they’re able to pull off a possible blockbuster trade.

The Blue Jackets (25-19-7) climbed into the second wild-card spot with an impressive 2-1 overtime victory on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. Columbus has won two in a row and is 7-2-1 in its past 10 to pull even in points with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who hold the top wild-card berth.

Related: Breaking down options for New York Rangers, East rivals ahead of NHL Trade Deadline

Young talent has lifted Blue Jackets into thick of playoff race

The start of the Blue Jackets’ season was shrouded in tragedy after the death of star forward Johnny Gaudreau in August. The Blue Jackets have since risen on the strength of a career season from defenseman Zach Werenski and breakout campaigns from 20-something forwards Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov, Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson.

This ascending group might get a significant boost in the five weeks or so leading up to the March 7 trade deadline. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported this week that Columbus has held talks with the Vancouver Canucks regarding a deal for star center Elias Pettersson, who could be moved amid a reported rift with teammate J.T. Miller that’s causing team-wide strife.

Whether that’s still the case will be interesting to see after the Canucks traded Miller to the New York Rangers on Friday. The deal could restore peace in the dressing room — but it removes a 103-point scorer last season, and center Filip Chytil, the primary piece the Canucks received from the Rangers, isn’t going to replace him on the score sheet.

The Canucks finished with 109 points in 2023-24, but they’re 23-17-10 this season and in a battle for a playoff spot — though they’ve won three straight to move within a point of the second Western Conference wild-card berth. They’re also two points behind the sinking Los Angeles Kings for the third playoff spot in the Pacific Division.

“A team to talk about is the Columbus Blue Jackets, and it’s not surprising because they have massive salary-cap space,” LeBrun said. “So as the Canucks make their rounds talking to teams on both J.T. Miller and Pettersson; the conversation with the Blue Jackets is on Pettersson.

“We’ll see if preliminary discussions, which have begun very recently, can go to the next level.”

The 26-year-old center piled up 191 points over the previous two seasons — most on the team — but his production has sagged this season, with 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points in 44 games. The reasons for it aren’t certain, though Miller’s usually high point-producing ways have also taken a hit in 2024-25. This suggests the acrimony that has built up around the team and fueled a media circus might be at least partially to blame.

Could a change of scenery for Pettersson allow him to rediscover his 100-point form? If the Canucks decide to move him, the Blue Jackets are one of the few contending teams that could make a deal work. Pettersson’s monster contract runs through 2031-32 with an annual salary-cap hit of $11.6 million — sixth-highest in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets could absorb it, according to Puckpedia. At $18.7 million, they have the most cap space in the League, and they’ll possess an absurd $85.7 million or so of space at the deadline. With an outstanding balance sheet, Columbus can make Pettersson’s pact work this season and beyond, should they want to gamble on installing him as the centerpiece of their offense into the future. With so many young assets and an extra first-round draft pick this year, Columbus should have plenty of trade capital to satisfy Vancouver.

Related: How top prospect’s hot streak could play role in Rangers trade-deadline approach

Rangers might have to move fast for J.T. Miller as Elias Pettersson rumors heat up

The Rangers and Blue Jackets represent perhaps the two most surprising teams in the NHL in 2024-25 — for opposite reasons. The Blueshirts’ often-nightmarish season has caused them to drop from Presidents’ Trophy winners in 2023-24 to a team that’s struggling to keep pace in the playoff race.

That’s helped open the door for the Blue Jackets, a team that nobody predicted would end a four-year playoff drought this season, to make a run at the postseason. Consequently, the Rangers are surely rooting against the Jackets and Canucks consummating a deal. With Pettersson, Columbus would be a significantly fortified team that the Rangers would have to pass to reach a wild-card spot. They visit the Blue Jackets on Feb. 8 in what will be a crucial matchup.

For a second, picture a burgeoning Rangers-Blue Jackets rivalry if each lands one of Vancouver’s stars. Miller and Pettersson’s distaste for one another make for a juicy intensity between fivision rivals for years to come.

But back to the point. Did talk of a Pettersson-to-Columbus trade speed up the Miller deal? It’s possible. Pettersson doesn’t gain no-move protection until July 1, so he can be sent anywhere. Miller has a full no-move clause, though he waived it to come to New York.

Pettersson being sent to Columbus would represent a double-whammy for the Rangers. It’s also far from a certainty that it will happen. The Buffalo Sabres are thought to be in the mix for Pettersson as well, and they could also theoretically make the money work with some contracts going back the other way. They also possess plenty of draft picks to help get a deal done.

Vancouver also may be more inclined to build its future around Pettersson, who’s nearly six years younger than Miller — a player known to have a high-intensity but grating personality. Pettersson’s production declined sharply when Miller returned in mid-December after missing nearly a month due to a leave of absence. The Canucks no doubt took note.

The Rangers got their man. Now they’ll have to see if the Blue Jackets get theirs before the NHL Trade Deadline.