New York Rangers’ most important player: J.T. Miller
The New York Rangers’ most important player is different than who you would expect.
In the past few seasons, the New York Rangers’ defense struggled to the point in which Ryan McDonagh had to save them from sinking the entire team. The offense was potent in the meantime, making McDonagh and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist the two most critical players for New York’s success.
Now, the Rangers revitalized their defensive corps. To do so, New York parted ways with Derek Stepan to free salary space. As of this moment, Jeff Gorton and company have not replaced the top line center, creating concerns at the pivot.
As it stands today, New York’s top three centers for the 2017-18 campaign will be Mika Zibanejad, Kevin Hayes, and one of Lias Andersson or J.T. Miller. The top two appear locked in, while the third is up to who plays best, and what Alain Vigneault wishes to see in his lineup.
However, no matter what the decision is, J.T. Miller is now the most vital piece for the New York Rangers’ success. Let’s examine.
The Center of Concerns
As previously stated, Mika Zibanejad and Kevin Hayes are New York’s current top two centers. Neither of the pair played in their respective roles yet, meaning in a situation where there is no room for error, both must succeed immediately.
The need for success in the top six is concerning enough as is, but the concern only grows when one drops down to the third line. Where Kevin Hayes originally called home now stands as a gaping hole on the Rangers’ roster.
Considering the Rangers already have question marks in the top six, they cannot afford to also worry about their third line center. Lias Andersson may earn the role, but the other option is J.T. Miller.
Should Miller be the choice to play third line center, he must succeed immediately, much like Zibanejad and Hayes. Between the three, it’s fair to expect ups and downs. However, none of the three can have extended struggles. Thus, the importance of J.T. Miller’s success.
However, if Lias Andersson is the choice to play third line center, Miller becomes even more important. Suddenly the trio of centers are all question marks, and the wingers become more important than ever before. Pavel Buchnevich, Chris Kreider, Rick Nash, and Mats Zuccarello all must perform, but Miller is in a more unique situation.
Miller’s flexibility makes him an option to move over to center if necessary, and his previous time on the third line makes it likely he will play there once again. Should Miller start on the third line away from center, he will be part of the development equation for Lias Andersson, one of the top prospects in recent Rangers history.
Related Story: Rangers' prospect rankings
Injury Fears
The primary reason J.T. Miller is the most important Ranger for the upcoming season is the possibility of injury.
Say Mika Zibanejad or Kevin Hayes goes down at any point in the upcoming season. New York’s second line center would be either Lias Andersson, David Desharnais, or a random player plucked from the minors or another organization.
Attempting to win with such an arrangement would be difficult at best. J.T. Miller succeeding down the middle changes everything. When Miller is on top of his game, he is a top six player for any good team. Should Miller adapt to playing center quickly, there’s no reason to believe he can’t be a top six center.
Next: Should the Rangers trade J.T. Miller for a center?
However if Miller fails, we return to the possibility of Andersson or Desharnais playing in the top six. That’s a concerning possibility, one that makes Miller’s flexibility vital to the team’s success. The hope here is that the Rangers add a player from outside of the organization, but if they fail to do so, Miller Time must be the right time.