Though he’s been overshadowed by Kevin Hayes’ ridiculous rookie season, J.T. Miller is another youngster who’s been vital to the team’s success.
Miller finally found a home when he was deployed alongside Hayes and Carl Hagelin on a third line that developed instant chemistry. And when the Blueshirts traded Lee Stempniak and Anthony Duclair, Miller’s position was virtually guaranteed for the rest of the season. That regular spot in the lineup seems to have been the confidence boost Miller needed to settle in as an NHL regular and take his game to the next level.
Since then, he’s gotten better and better. In March Miller trailed just Hayes, Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider in P/60 and ranked seventh on the team in SCF% (by War-on-Ice’s definition). Miller earned a promotion to the second line in the wake of Marty St. Louis’ injury and has fit right in.
Much like Kreider, Miller had a very difficult time earning his coach’s trust and spent much of his first two seasons bouncing back and forth from Hartford. Miller was among the best players in September’s training camp, but even then he wound up back with the Wolf Pack after just a few games.
With Duclair’s early performance, Alain Vigneault’s insistence on playing Tanner Glass, and solid play by Stempniak, Hayes and Jesper Fast, Miller seemed like he might be trade bait for the first chunk of the year. But instead, the organization exercised patience with the just-turned 22-year-old and Miller has rewarded it.
On Twitter the other day, Dave, Kevin Power and I chatted briefly about the 2011 draft. The Rangers selected Miller at No. 15, and though that already seems long ago, Miller is actually one of few forwards selected that have made any impact in the NHL. Of attackers selected after him, only Brandon Saad (#43) and Nikita Kucherov (#58) have really outperformed Miller by a wide margin.
Miller is one of the few Rangers that plays with an edge and has a high motor on the forecheck, but you obviously hope for more than that from a first-round pick. Miller has shown offensive flashes in the past, but now he’s putting together extended stretches of playmaking. There are still going to be growing pains as with Kreider, but Miller looks well on his way to become a very good player.
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