While the New York Rangers trade of Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller at the 2018 NHL trade deadline seemed like a trigger happy move at the time, with the benefit of hindsight, a clearer picture is forming.
There’s no disputing just how talented of a defenseman McDonagh is. Based on the year he had with Tampa Bay it wouldn’t be a major stretch of the imagination for him to finish in the top five of Norris Trophy voting. In a less demanding role, the former Ranger captain was put in a position to succeed.
When it comes to Miller, the story is more complicated and it says a lot about who he is as a player.