After coming to the New York Rangers via a trade sending center Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini and a 2025 conditional pick to Vancouver, the Blueshirts saw a rapid increase in offensive production and motivation as a result of J.T. Miller joining the roster.
This came as a surprise to absolutely no one.
Having a rich history with the franchise and in success — Miller was originally selected by the Rangers with the No. 15 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft after playing two seasons for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
Miller signed a seven-year, $56 million contract with the Canucks in September of 2022, coming off a season when he had 99 points (32 goals, 67 assists) and 38 power-play points. He had one assist for his 500th NHL point in a 4-3 loss to the Rangers on Feb. 8, 2023 — 10 years and one day after scoring a goal for his first NHL point playing for New York. Miller became the eighth-fastest active United States-born skater to reach the milestone.
After returning back to where his career began, Miller's numbers exclusive to the Rangers for the 2024-25 NHL season are as follows: 32 games played, 13 goals, 22 assists for 35 points with an average of 1.09 points per game, which was up from the 0.88 points per game he registered in Vancouver.
The Blueshirts last captain was defenseman Jacob Trouba who is now with the Anaheim Ducks as a result of the December 6th trade in exchange for Urho Vaakanainen and a conditional 2025 fourth-round draft pick.
As a result of his hard work and success, a lot of fans are taking to social media to advocate for Miller to be named the next team captain. Once the preseason arrives it can only be expected that new Head Coach Mike Sullivan will keep his eyes focused on Miller a bit more often than others to see if he's up for an elevated leadership role (which he definitely is).
The fatal flaw
There's one problem with Miller being named captain — since the start of the 2020s he doesn't have a full season as a Ranger under his belt. While nobody is denying Miller has the skills and leadership qualities to be captain, there is the fact that Vincent Trocheck is another valid candidate to wear the C and has been with the Rangers since 2022.
It will be interesting to see how the Rangers proceed, and maybe Sullivan will want a full year with his players before a new leader is chosen. The last few Rangers captains departed the organization via trade, so it is possible there's no reason to rush into something.