Last season will be one that the New York Rangers and the fanbase would like to forget. Who wants to reminisce about a season in which they fell to last place in the Eastern Conference? Plenty had to do with injuries. but there were plenty of underperformances. One of the players who didn't hold up their end of the bargain was J.T. Miller.
After a promising second-half stint during the 2024-25 season, the Rangers named Miller their brand new captain prior to his first full season with the club in his return. The hope was that not only he'd be just as productive as the season prior, but that he'd help lead the team back to the playoffs. Instead, he had a brutal campaign, highlighted by injuries, lackluster hustle, and quotes that didn't exactly exude leadership.
Taking all of that into account, Miller was a figure of frustration for the Rangers fanbase. All eyes are going to be on him entering this season to see if he can show the last campaign was an anomaly.
Chris Drury puts all of the pressure on J.T. Miller to have bounce-back season
General manager Chris Drury, along with head coach Mike Sullivan, met with reporters on Wednesday ahead of the start of training camp. Drury was asked about Miller, and said he's looking forward to how he bounces back in his second full season as captain.
"We're excited where he's at," said Drury, h/t Mollie Walker of the New York Post. "I know he's had a great summer, on and off the ice training, getting ready. Excited to see him come in in his second year as captain. He's a very accomplished player and a pro player, and wears his heart on his sleeve. I think he's done a great job growing within the role of captaincy."
Drury praising Miller for his training in the offseason and how much he's looking forward to how he plays and leads the team this upcoming season, just added more pressure to him.
It might be difficult for him to put up a similar 53 point season (17 goals, 36 assists) due in part to the numerous injuries he dealt with heading into the season and after returning from the Winter Olympics. Overall, he was incredibly banged up, and it did hurt his production. What Rangers fans would hope for is to have a similar trajectory as he had during his return to the team in the 2024-25 season, where he scored 13 goals and dished out 22 assists in 32 games.
J.T. Miller must lead Rangers in pivotal season
Drury praised Miller's leadership and is looking forward to how he will lead the team in the upcoming campaign. It just so happens that this season will be one of their most important once in the past three years.
The Rangers had the chance to enter a full-on rebuild, but Drury opted for a retool, meaning he was looking to bring in win-now players and prospects to help them down the line. The players brought in to help contribute right away include forward Pavel Dorofeyev and defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson. Dorofeyev is being paid to be their top scorer, likely on the first line. As for Durzi and Pettersson, they should be the second pair of defensemen, providing them more depth.
Lets' not forget that having a healthy Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin should help matters as well. Because when both went down with injuries, the Rangers completely went into a free fall.
Given their additions and the outlook of the Metropolitan Division, it's not hard to envision the Rangers making it back to the playoffs. But they'll all have to produce. It will be up to Miller, the captain, to ensure the team is motivated every game as their leader. If the Rangers continue to flounder near the bottom of the divisional standings, Miller and Drury, for that matter, will continue to hear criticism from an already frustrated fanbase.
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