Boeser has had the most success of his Canucks tenure when riding shotgun with Miller. Miller’s playmaking ability down low was an excellent fit with Boeser’s finishing ability from the inner slot. With Miller gone, the risk and uncertainty around committing a six- or seven-year contract to Boeser increases.

The center who got over the 100-point mark last year is heading from the Vancouver Canucks to the team that drafted Miller 15th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft. Will it be enough to make the Rangers a contender again, in a season in which they haven’t looked like the team that was so close to a Stanley Cup Final last year?

J.T. Miller’s return to the New York Rangers became successful very quickly when he scored in the opening period against the Boston Bruins, a day after he was acquired in a trade from Vancouver.