New York Rangers: Miller maintains consistency despite change in role

With center depth an issue for the New York Rangers this season, J.T. Miller has been a light shining in the uncertainty.

When J.T. Miller was drafted back in 2011, he entered the league regarded as a player that could handle work both in the center and on the wing. However, as he started playing games for the Rangers, he slowly moved into a permanent spot on the left wing.

With the Rangers struggling to set up effective offensive lines early in the 2017-18 season, the choice to revert Miller back to the center position was risky but has turned out to a move that helped solidify the offense.

With 2016-17 serving as his “breakout season,” seeing the same level of production this year would show that Miller should remain a staple on the Rangers’ offense.

The two-year bridge deal that Miller signed with the Rangers up at the end of this season and it is likely he will be looking to ink a contract that is long term. Miller proving he can be a resource for consistency despite facing changes makes him an extremely valuable asset.

Breaking it down

Miller is off to a strong start through the Rangers first 29 games of the season. Through these early games, he has recorded four goals and 18 assists for 22 points.

Currently, he is on pace to land at 62 points through the full 82 games, which would break his career-high 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists) notched last season.

In addition, when looking at Miller’s points per 60 (p/60) and goals per 60 (gs/60) numbers from this season and last, they are nearly identical. Last year, Miller recorded 2.5 points p/60 and 18.7 g/60.

Comparatively, this season Miller had 2.7 p/60 (1.54 primary points per 60) and 1.83 gs/60 through the Rangers first 28 games.

He has seen a decent amount of improvement in his Corsi-For percentage this season. Last year he saw low possession numbers finishing the season at 46.2. This year, his numbers are back up above 50 — at 51.8 percent.

All of these things show that Miller has found his game despite having shifted into a different, slightly more demanding role on the roster.

What this means for the Rangers

In years past, Miller has served an important asset on the Rangers roster. He always managed to make an impact. However, the fact he has been able to embrace the challenge of taking on a new role and the fact that he has continued to produce makes him essential on the roster.

Players in the center tend to take on some more responsibility than their counterparts on the wing. Centers cover more of the ice, quarterback in the offensive zone and are key in driving possession. On top of this, they need to generate dangerous opportunities and to score goals.

Even though Miller has more pressure on him in this regard, he has managed to thrive. Yes, he is on pace to break his career-high points total, but his success goes beyond just the points that he has earned.

His possession numbers have jumped this season, showing that he has a level of comfort in being able to step up and control the puck.

Having a high faceoff percentage is obviously something that you want to see from a center. Miller currently leads the team in faceoff percentage (52.3 percent) through 29 games.

Next: Why Ondrej Pavelec needs to start more for the Rangers

Miller being able to step into this new role after a breakout season, maintain his good play and high numbers and overall be a successful center for the Rangers is a gift. His continued success will to key in the Rangers seeing success.

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