New York Rangers: How to maximize J.T. Miller's 2017-18 season

J.T. Miller has emerged as one of the most important players on the New York Rangers. The team will need him to continue to improve, but they must put him in positions to succeed in order for that to happen.

J.T Miller is one of the most polarizing players on the New York Rangers. Since making his NHL debut in 2013, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for him to get where he’s at now. There’s been up’s and down’s in terms of the level of his play, where he plays, and who he is as a professional.

It all began when the Rangers selected Miller 15^th overall at the 2011 NHL entry draft. At that time, he was just a kid from East Palestine, Ohio who had come up through USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. He spent a season with the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League. After that, J.T. made the transition to pro hockey and was sent to the Ranger’s AHL affiliate, then called the Connecticut Whale.

The up’s and down’s

Miller quickly rose through the organization and made his NHL debut in February of 2013, just a month before turning 20 years old. He dazzled early on, scoring his first two career NHL goals in his 2^nd game on February 7^th against the crosstown rival New York Islanders. Again, it was a bumpy ride for Miller. He scored just those 2 goals to go along with 2 assist for 4 points in 26 games in his first NHL stint.

The 2013-2014 season marked a clean sheet for the team. A new head coach, Alain Vigneault, became the bench boss. It became an up and down season for J.T. , literally, because he was called up to the NHL then demoted to the AHL on six separate occasions. That April, AV offered some pretty strong remarks on Miller. He implied that Miller had not yet earned the right to be in the NHL, and that the young man needed to show more commitment on the ice and off.

Solidifying his spot

In the 2014-2015 season, Miller finally solidified himself as a full-time Ranger. He reached career highs in games played (58), goals (10), assists (13) and points (23). When Mats Zuccarello suffered a serious head injury that postseason, Miller found himself playing a top six role on a team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals, ultimately falling short in game 7.

Personally, I’d say that 2015 postseason run was the turning point of his young career. He followed it up with another career year in 2015-2016 where he played in all 82 regular season games and notched 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points. He then parlayed that into another career year in the 2016-2017 season. Miller’s 22 goals and 34 assists for 56 points made him the second leading point scorer on the Rangers last year. Finally, he became a player that the team relied on to lead the way.

Still, Miller and Vigneault’s relationship is a peculiar one. There are many nights J.T. logs less minutes than almost any other forward. Some nights, Miller found himself on the 4^th line, which seems inexcusable for a player with his talent. As he gets older now, the pressure on him will only grow larger.

Ice time

First and foremost, J.T. deserves plenty of playing time. Miller is either a top six winger or the 3^rd line center (a discussion that’ll be talked about in just a moment) on this team. His offensive upside should land him some powerplay minutes. Last year, AV even used Miller a lot on the penalty kill for the first time. Though he wasn’t particularly great at killing penalties, he wasn’t that bad either.

Settling on a position

Perhaps the biggest question mark for the Rangers season thus far is whether Miller will switch to center, the position he played in juniors and the AHL, or remain a winger. He hasn’t played center regularly in a few years now. He has steadily improved over the past three seasons primarily as a winger.

Jonathon Tanner can make a big impact on a game, but he’ll probably never be known as a defensive stalwart. He’s a very good player, but probably won’t be in any Selke Trophy discussions, and there’s nothing wrong with that. As a center, defensive responsibilities are far greater than they are for a winger.

I believe that all centers can also play the wing, but not all wingers can also play center. Centers are required to work much harder in the defensive zone and hover around all over the ice really, whereas wingers mostly just cover their points in their own zone.

Asking Miller to make this adjustment is difficult enough. Switching him back and forth between center and the wing will make the task harder. The team is struggling to find an answer for the 3rd line center right now. However, the goal should be that by Christmas time, Miller has a set position and role. This will give him plenty of time to adapt. Hopefully that leads to a strong second half and eventually playoff run from Miller.

What is Miller’s future with the team?

The final variable is one that most fans seem to forget. Miller is a restricted free agent this offseason, and will be looking for a raise. He’ll turn 25 in March, and is reaching a point in his career and life where he’ll want long-term stability. He has steadily improved each of the past three seasons and is no doubt a core member of the team. Miller has every right to ask for at least a four or five year deal, at a cap hit around $5 million per year.

The Rangers can choose to lock up Miller long-term, offer him another short-term deal, or trade him and part ways for good. That’s a story line that we’ll have to keep an eye on. His play this season will ultimately determine the price and length on his contract. It may even determine if he’ll continue to play for the Rangers at all.

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What will happen this season?

In order for J.T. to have the best season of his career, it’s important that he’s put in positions to succeed. That means he needs to be given plenty of ice time, a definitive position, and perhaps an answer to his long-term future. Miller cannot be benched for little mistakes. No more bouncing back and forth between all four lines. J.T. Miller is no longer a kid, he’s a veteran now. It’s time the Rangers make sure he becomes the best player he can be.

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New York Rangers: How to maximize J.T. Miller’s 2017-2018 season