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J.T. Miller: Requiem for a Captain Who Never Was


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A Rangers? first-round pick in a decade lacking them. A first-line talent on a team jammed to the brim with middle-sixers. A growth and maturation process that?s endearing to every fan base. A leadership pedigree amongst elite peers as a youngster. A willingness to drop the gloves and stand up for himself and his teammates. A sterling confidence to pull off a highlight reel first career goal.

 

A no-nonsense attitude and no fear of the NHL?s elite.

 

Great hair.

 

The story was ready to write itself.

 

J.T. Miller, on paper, had the resume to be a long-term Rangers captain. With the void created by the trade of Ryan McDonagh to Tampa Bay, the table was set for Miller?s reign and the ?C? could have, potentially, moved seamlessly to the #10 sweater. Instead, due to a number of factors, including Miller?s own enigmatic persona, he was offloaded to Tampa Bay with the former captain and the story of Miller as a Ranger comes to a close with no grand ending.

 

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J.T. is a middle six plug. He’s had flashes but realistically he’s never been that exciting. Aside from a torrid few weeks last season he’s never really become a threat of any kind. When Kreider went out, he didn’t fill the role. He’s a typical American player who plays in stright lines. Not much in terms of creativity.

 

I never saw him as someone who would get the “C.” Stepan, sure. But not Miller. He’s never been on a coaches good side.

 

He was a 1st rounder and the exact kind of 1st we need to stay away from with our first pick this year.

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I agree, and it sounds a little snobbish, because it is, but I like to think I could tell you he grew up playing hockey in Ohio. He may have missed out on something at a young age that a kid in Minny or Edmonton would have got. Hard to say, but it's not all there with Miller.
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I never saw him as someone who would get the “C.” Stepan, sure. But not Miller. He’s never been on a coaches good side. .

Housley loved him and gave him an "A" at the WJC. I think Torts did too, which is why he was so hard on him. AV liked him early, but that relationship soured.

 

It's worth noting that Cooper was one of the coaches on Team North America during the World Championships. He would have signed off on liking Miller before they brought him onto a contending roster.

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Steve Guttenberg? Gotta get that one right man, Its Slapshot.

 

I don't know man. I always thought the kid was very over rated by the fans. His "toughness" never translated to much physical play, nor many if any fights. I can't recall Miller dropping the gloves. Ever. He hardly went to the front of the net, he didn't initiate contact. I just never saw this physical presence people IMO grasped at.

 

His speed and ability to break through checks in a break towards the net was always what I appreciated from him. I think he never really found his nich here. IMO his skillset will fit extremely nicely with a player like Johnson. I think the fresh start with some truly offensive minded players, along with a coach who will utilize his skills, will bring him some possible better results. I think there's less pressure to be perfect now. HIS game will be able to shine through.

 

Good luck kid.

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We can all check back this time next year and wonder what the fuck the rangers were thinking in giving up on a kid who has a whole career in front of him. Fact is is that he has loads of talent. Still needs to learn and maybe hasn’t quickly enough. Some players take longer than others to figure it all out. If he does tampa got a steal. If things remain the same they got an equal trade.

 

See you next year in this thread.

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We can all check back this time next year and wonder what the fuck the rangers were thinking in giving up on a kid who has a whole career in front of him. Fact is is that he has loads of talent. Still needs to learn and maybe hasn’t quickly enough. Some players take longer than others to figure it all out. If he does tampa got a steal. If things remain the same they got an equal trade.

 

See you next year in this thread.

 

You could say all of those same things about Namestnikov...

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JT is obviously a talented guy. At his best, he's very good. His problem is on his off days, of which there are many, he's abysmal. Seems to be a mentality thing with him. I always felt his inconsistency was married to effort or lack thereof. When he's switched on he skates and plays as hard as anyone. When he's not, he doesn't.

I'll miss him a bit tbh. Wish him all the best at TB.

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JT is obviously a talented guy. At his best, he's very good. His problem is on his off days, of which there are many, he's abysmal. Seems to be a mentality thing with him. I always felt his inconsistency was married to effort or lack thereof. When he's switched on he skates and plays as hard as anyone. When he's not, he doesn't.

I'll miss him a bit tbh. Wish him all the best at TB.

 

This sums it up for me too. I could (most of us could) see the potential in JT but for some reason known only to him, he just could not rise to the challenge 100%. He'll have a NHL career -- something I'd wish that I could have had -- but he will go down as yet another in a long line of guys who simply played the game. HUGE opportunity missed IMO.

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giving up on a kid who has a whole career in front of him.

 

 

Giving up after not one, not two, not three, not four, but five years after he first came to the NHL. I can see him scoring 30 goals for the Bolts and being a good player, but I think he will always be too inconsistent to be a real star.

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Giving up after not one, not two, not three, not four, but five years after he first came to the NHL. I can see him scoring 30 goals for the Bolts and being a good player, but I think he will always be too inconsistent to be a real star.

I do too, but you never know what can happen with the right coach/system.

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I haven't posted for awhile, but I read a lot of posts on the board.

 

There's some real bullshit going on here for sure, but nothing makes me genuine as upset as the revisionist history going on when players leave.

 

I'm not even going to bother with the McD stuff, but what's going on in this thread is just sad. Miller was a quality player for us, there were times he outright carried the team last year. Was he the best and most consistent player all the time? No, but who is? He's already a more well rounded player than Krieder, who gets tons more ice time and PP time and still manages to not really do anything unless Zuccarello is giving him tap-ins.

 

Miller was physical every night, played in front of the net every night, and was really only guilty of ever trying to do too much. And yea, some simple research will tell you he dropped the gloves. As far as him not being creative, let's just say I highly disagree, especially after watching years of Stepan telegraph his passes. As far as the bad locker room guy stuff, well that seems to have taken on a life of it's own here (as most things do) and now has become the group think. That's fine, he was part of a clique and we know that no one here likes cliques. I wonder how many people thought that Hags/Brassard/Zucc clique was bad for the team...But winning masks everything, right?

 

The guy is traded, what the need is to shred him on the way out is beyond me. He wasn't bending anyone over the barrel for a contract (yet), he was a good player who played as had as he could every night. He looked really bad on a really bad team where almost everyone else looked really bad, as well. Shocking.

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Whatever the case is with JT I don't think he'll ever live up to what his physical skills promised he could possibly have been. He just seems too flighty to ever put it together game in and game out. I had enough of him and I'm glad he's gone.
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I haven't posted for awhile, but I read a lot of posts on the board.

 

There's some real bullshit going on here for sure, but nothing makes me genuine as upset as the revisionist history going on when players leave.

 

I'm not even going to bother with the McD stuff, but what's going on in this thread is just sad. Miller was a quality player for us, there were times he outright carried the team last year. Was he the best and most consistent player all the time? No, but who is? He's already a more well rounded player than Krieder, who gets tons more ice time and PP time and still manages to not really do anything unless Zuccarello is giving him tap-ins.

 

Miller was physical every night, played in front of the net every night, and was really only guilty of ever trying to do too much. And yea, some simple research will tell you he dropped the gloves. As far as him not being creative, let's just say I highly disagree, especially after watching years of Stepan telegraph his passes. As far as the bad locker room guy stuff, well that seems to have taken on a life of it's own here (as most things do) and now has become the group think. That's fine, he was part of a clique and we know that no one here likes cliques. I wonder how many people thought that Hags/Brassard/Zucc clique was bad for the team...But winning masks everything, right?

 

The guy is traded, what the need is to shred him on the way out is beyond me. He wasn't bending anyone over the barrel for a contract (yet), he was a good player who played as had as he could every night. He looked really bad on a really bad team where almost everyone else looked really bad, as well. Shocking.

 

Welcome back!

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