This portion of the newsletter is sponsored by Kenny Albert, who was inspired by Friday’s trade — which saw the Blueshirts reacquire 2011 first-rounder J.T. Miller from Vancouver — to research the franchise’s draft history. And upon further review, quite a history it is.

If you take the long view, all the way back to February of 2022, then J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers appears inevitable.

Miller’s teammates have praised his leadership and ability to communicate on the bench and on the ice. Coach Peter Laviolette highlighted how Miller drove to the net with the Rangers trailing the Golden Knights 2-1 early in the third period Sunday and liked how he “just got into some scuffles and just mixed it up. We needed more of that.”