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NY Rangers Relinquish 2025 NHL Draft First-Round Pick to Finalize J.T. Miller Trade

The New York Rangers have officially given up their first-round pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft, completing the terms of their January trade for J.T. Miller.

As a result of this trade, the Rangers will transfer the No. 12 overall pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins. This means the Rangers will have no first-round pick on June 27th, leaving them to watch the first round from the sidelines, though that could change with any future moves.

In exchange, the Rangers will keep their first-round pick for the 2026 NHL Draft. Miller was acquired by the Rangers from the Vancouver Canucks on January 31 in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a first-round pick. That pick was subsequently traded to the Penguins as part of a separate deal.

Despite missing the playoffs after winning the Presidents’ Trophy the previous year, the Rangers landed the No. 12 pick through the draft lottery. Miller, who was originally drafted 15th overall by the Rangers in 2011, posted solid numbers in his return to New York during the 2024-25 season. He played 32 games, scoring 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points, averaging 1.09 points per game—an improvement over his 0.88 points per game with Vancouver.

Trade Details
The Rangers had until Wednesday to decide whether to keep their 2025 first-round pick or send the Penguins their first-round pick in 2026 instead. The 2026 pick would have been unprotected, meaning if the Rangers struggled in the 2025-26 season, the Penguins could receive a better selection.

Now, Pittsburgh holds both the No. 11 and No. 12 picks in the first round, and they have six picks in the top three rounds of this week’s draft, including three third-round selections.

Rangers’ Draft Picks for 2025
As of now, the Rangers’ updated draft picks are:

• No. 43 (2nd round)

• No. 70 (3rd round)

• No. 89 (3rd round, acquired in Chris Kreider trade)

• No. 111 (4th round)

• No. 139 (5th round)

• No. 166 and No. 171 (6th round)

• No. 203 (7th round)

Additional Notes
The Rangers are also making some coaching changes, with Mike Sullivan now entering his first season as head coach after a decade with the Penguins. Two of his newly appointed assistant coaches have followed him from Pittsburgh to Madison Square Garden.