The New York Rangers have made the decision to send their number 12 pick in the next NHL Draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
This action completes the conditions established in the acquisition of forward J.T. Miller last season.
In that transaction, the Rangers sent a conditional first-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks.
The transaction included Filip Chytil and defenseman Victor Mancini, in exchange for Miller and defensemen Erik Brannstrom and Jackson Dorrington.
Miller, 32, accumulated 35 points in 32 games with the Rangers the previous season.
The Canucks later traded that pick to the Penguins in a deal that involved defenseman Marcus Pettersson.
The condition of the selection was as follows: if the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2025 were to be among the top 13, they would have the option of sending it to the Penguins and keeping their 2026 first-round pick.
The Rangers finished in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, outside of the playoff spots, which gave them the number 12 selection.
Keeping the 2026 selection benefits the Rangers in several ways. If the team becomes competitive again under new head coach Mike Sullivan, they could use the 2026 selection to bolster their roster before the NHL trade deadline.
On the other hand, if the situation doesn’t improve, the Rangers would have a possible lottery pick in what is considered a very strong draft class, with forward Gavin McKenna as the possible number one.
The Penguins will now have consecutive picks in the first round, having the 11th and 12th picks.
