Looking back at a couple of trades and a preview of next weekends draft.
The Trades
(5/20/26) CHP trades CHP 5th-26 to GEO for M. Rasmussen & Quinn Finley-p…
(6/08/26) CHP trades M. Rielly to GEO for C. Sissons…
GEO hooks up with longtime trading partner Chippewa to move out some bottom 6
forwards , getting back a pick and an upgrade on Defense.
Rasmussen’s 2nd tour in Georgetown was a disappointment and he was in danger of
being eventually waived having slid to the bottom of the team’s forward depth chart.
Quinn Finley is a longtime Millers prospect whose path to playing time was blocked by
the influx of young wingers brought in via trade and prospect graduations. He was the
sweetener to entice CHP to take the last year of the Rasmussen contract. Finley
projects as a bottom 6 NHL winger, with good speed and a good shot. It’s not
inconceivable he finds a middle 6 role and PP time in the right situation. Georgetown
adds a pick within the top 100 of the 2026 entry draft, giving their scouting department
more work to do.
Sissons was moved out to open up a spot for Marco Kasper as the 4th line Center. The
team loved Sisson’s contributions on the PK and in the face-off dot but with a plethora of
bottom 6 options, many of them young and needing playing time, he was deemed
expendable. Jordan Staal will take over the #1 Center duties on the PK, and Kasper,
Andrew Copp or Logan Cooley can handle 2nd unit PK duties,
Rielly adds another offensive Dman with goal-scoring ability to the Millers stable, along
with Shea Theodore and Jackson LaCombe. Unsuccessful in their attempts to add a top
6 forward, the Millers instead add offensive depth to the blue line. As things stand Rielly
would be on the 2nd pair with a partner to be determined, and also on the 2nd PP unit.
Draft Drama?
A month ago it appeared the Millers were set to take the best available and their most
preferred Defenseman with the 6 overall pick in the entry draft. A week away and there
is some doubt as to where the team will go, as the potential drop of a top forward if
there is a run on Dmen and the late-stage ascendancy of a couple of other forwards are
now clouding the picture. During meetings with the scouting department different
scenarios were drawn up and it’s believed a revision of the internal draft rankings have
set the stage for a potential surprise pick. It’s also possible the 6th overall is dealt so
long as the team can remain in the top 10. A source inside the organization, speaking
anonymously, said it’s likely the team drafts a European prospect with the pick if the
draft goes as the club’s internal models have predicted.
