A lot has been made about the New York Rangers being a player short in their top six, and how they should still be active in trying to acquire one. While the Rangers should be interested in bringing someone in if a deal were to materialize, the true answer to their problem is already sitting in their dressing room. J.T. Miller didn't play like a true top-six forward last season, and if he's able to enter the season healthy and refreshed, that can make a world of a difference for the team and its playoff aspirations.
Miller has shown he can be a difference maker
As things currently stand, the players who will be in the team's top six include Miller, Mika Zibanejad, Pavel Dorofeyev, Gabe Perreault, Alexis Lafrenière, and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Bjorkstand is the only "fringe" name of the group, but his reputation as a player who has scored 20 goals in a season six times in his career means he belongs. They also have some options in Hartford that could eventually make a push, but they will need to prove it in the minors first.
This collection of talent looks good on paper, but they need to go out and prove it. Miller has an opportunity to change the narrative around him, and he can do that by getting back to being the player he was when he rejoined the Rangers. The Rangers' captain ended his tenure in Vancouver with nine goals, 26 assists, and 35 points in 40 games. Upon his return to New York, Miller scored 13 goals and added 22 assists for 35 points in 32 games.
Last year was a disaster of a year in which he was injured during training camp, and it prevented him from dressing during the preseason. He picked up some other injuries along the way, and it resulted in him dressing for just 68 games, during which he had 17 goals, 36 assists, and 53 points.
Miller's last full season in Vancouver was his best as a pro to date, and it ended with him tallying 103 points (37 goals and 66 assists) in 81 games. No one expects Miller to reach those heights again, he did turn 33 in March, but there's no reason why he can't have an impact.
Dorofeyev could help Miller get back on track
The addition of Dorofeyev to help the Rangers score goals was a sound move, and thus far there's been some skepticism regarding his ability to repeat his Vegas heroics on Broadway. While there is a reason to have some healthy doubts, it feels like Miller's ability as a playmaker is being overlooked.
During the 2021-22 season, Miller finished with 67 assists. He followed that up with 50 assists in 2022-23, and he tallied another 66 helpers in 2023-24. Miller then had 48 assists in 72 games in 2024-25, and 36 in 68 games this past season.
It would make sense for Mike Sullivan to keep last year's successful trio of Perreault, Zibanejad, and Lafrenière together, and they create the opportunity for Miller and Dorofeyev to start the season as a duo. While Miller may not be Jack Eichel, he isn't a slouch when it comes to finding his teammates on the ice.
Miller has chance to follow in Zibanejad's footsteps
Many fans were down on Zibanejad after the 2024-25 season ended, and there was a sense of dread that his game had completely fallen off a cliff. Zibanejad ended that year with 20 goals, 42 assists, and 62 points in 82 games, and he followed it up with a line of 34-44-78 in 81 games. If Zibanejad was capable of rebounding like that, there's every reason to believe Miller can have a return to form of his own.
To his credit, Miller finished with a 52.11 xGF% per Evolving Hockey, and that outpaced his actual performance of a 40.95 GF% during 950 minutes of play at 5v5. It suggests that he was a bit snake bitten in his results even though his underlying process was good. Ultimately he needs to prove it, and the Rangers are hoping he's up to the task.
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