The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers are currently facing a similar dilemma — and a potential trade involving Him could be the most straightforward solution.
He is a pending restricted free agent whose name has been circulating in trade rumors since at least last season. According to Cam Robinson of EliteProspects, the Rangers are actively shopping Him at the NHL Scouting Combine ahead of the 2025 Draft.
Since He is an RFA, teams like the Flyers could bypass trade talks altogether and extend an offer sheet when free agency begins on July 1. However, if Philadelphia wants to secure his rights without competing with other offers, they could swing a trade now — though they’d need to weigh that against the potential offer sheet compensation owed to the Rangers, depending on the contract value.
The Flyers, meanwhile, have a comparable situation on their hands with defenseman Cam York, who is also an RFA in need of a new deal. Per Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff, contract negotiations between York’s camp and the Flyers haven’t made much headway.
That opens the door to a potential one-for-one swap between two young defensemen whose contract situations remain unresolved. Both teams have what the other lacks — and such a move could benefit each side.
York, 24, was selected 14th overall in the 2019 draft and was expected to develop into a dynamic two-way defenseman. So far, his most productive season has yielded 10 goals and 30 points, mostly while playing a more defensive role alongside the more offensive Travis Sanheim, who’s tallied 18 goals and 74 points across the last two seasons.
Miller, by contrast, already has a 43-point season under his belt and brings a towering 6-foot-5 frame. He would represent a considerable upgrade over someone like Nicolas Hague, who offers limited offensive upside. Miller has shown his best form while paired with Adam Fox — an elite puck-moving defenseman — but even without a player of Fox’s caliber, Miller might elevate someone like Jamie Drysdale.
Statistically, Miller and Fox formed one of the NHL’s best pairings, leading all duos with a 66.7% expected goals rate and a league-high 4.11 expected goals for per 60 minutes (via MoneyPuck).
Given how much the Flyers struggled offensively, especially from the blue line, adding Miller could be a major boost. In 2024–25, Philly ranked 30th in defenseman scoring with just 132 points, ahead of only San Jose and Boston. Defensemen accounted for just 25.1% of the team’s assists — 31st in the league, beating only Dallas.
With coaches John Tortorella and Brad Shaw no longer around and Rick Tocchet set to install a new staff, it’s unclear whether York will continue to complement Sanheim moving forward. This shift could negatively impact Sanheim’s production and push the Flyers toward a more traditional left/right D-pairing strategy. Miller’s physicality and skillset would help fill the gap — aside from Sanheim, Philadelphia lacks another defenseman with that kind of presence.
If the Flyers intend to build a larger, tougher blue line for future playoff runs, Miller would be a logical starting point.
Though trades between division rivals are rare, the Flyers and Rangers might have enough mutual interest to strike a deal before the 2025 Draft later this month. It’s also worth noting that Miller and another Flyers trade target, Marco Rossi, share the same agent — Ian Pulver. That connection could give Philadelphia the chance to address two significant roster needs before free agency even starts.
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