Sunday Reads

Morning all, although only just for me as its almost midday here in the UK as I’m typing this… On a relatively quiet weekend for the Rangers (how often does a team get Saturday AND Sunday off?) its time to take a look around the Rangers universe at some of the more interesting reads.

Nick over at Rangers Tribune makes a very valid point (at least in my opinion, as well as his) at how the league doesn’t give enough attention to the Rangers win streak while he also mentions Tortorella’s comments on the disrespect Dan Girardi has received reference all star balloting.  If the Pens were on a 6 game tear or playing great hockey the whole world would hear about if from the leagues marketing department.

Jess at The Prospect Park looks at some of the junior action over the weekend including JT Miller’s 3 point night as his Plymouth side whipped the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Kevin Delury, on his NY Rangers Blog,  looks at how the Rangers are trying to convince the Great One (obviously I don’t need to write his name) to play in the Alumni game later this season. Number 99 isn’t as opposed as he previously was when he insisted family commitments would be a priority. (Gretz is making me look good as I insisted the Rangers would convince him, eventually).

The CT Whale website  has a very interesting article on the Rangers emphasis on development. Great read and offers some nice insight in to the minor league affiliate as well, for those of you not as familiar with what goes on the level below NY.

I find things like this interesting even when I don’t always agree with TSN. The Canadian site has a look at the top performing free agents so far this season via Scott Cullen. Take note of the top 10: Two former Rangers (one more surprising than the other) and a guy that the Rangers were linked heavily with until he ended up in Dallas.

One more thing: I’m not ashamed to pimp out something deserving. If you like the NFL, are a fantasy geek (like me) and you like hearing a different take or two on subjects then head to Fantasy Pick Six and check out their latest podcast. Yours truly guests starts on it – episode 14 – it’s a great laugh to be involved with. The guys don’t take anything too seriously but offer great insight into the weekly goings on in the NFL. Yes, all the accents you hear are British including my own – British NFL opinion you say? crazy! Go listen.

Anyway, I’m off to the gym to make sure I’m in fighting shape for my next venture to New York in less than two weeks. Wish me luck. 

Prospect Watch: Point Producing Juniors

The Rangers can watch their prospects in Canadian juniors with great satisfaction right now. Around a month in to the season and several prospects are scoring at an excellent rate headlined by Shane McColgan who has an impressive 17 points in 14 games for the struggling Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. With his side sitting second from bottom in their division with a 5-9-1 record, McColgan’s -6 rating is the only blot on his personal stat line this season.

A couple of other players are having great starts in junior. JT Miller continues to impress for Plymouth in the OHL and with 17 points in 15 games he’s showing an impressive offensive side. Leading his team offensively Miller has been at the forefront of Plymouth’s improved form as they have gone 5-3-2 in their past 10.

The third prospect scoring at a fast rate in juniors is Mike St Croix. St Croix has 15 points in 16 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings and is doing it on the power play as well as at even strength.  Of his 5 goals so far this season, 3 have been with the man advantage. The Kings, like the Whalers in the O, have been a team on the rise and have 6 wins in their past 10 to move 4 points behind Kootenay and Medicine Hat in their division.

All three prospects discussed above have something in common; they seem to be offensive go-to guys for their clubs. Scoring at impressive rates, all three seem to be impact players and that is something that bodes well for their professional futures. A few years ago it would have been difficult to find this many Rangers prospects making positive impressions at the same time. The prospect pipeline is certainly in a healthy state right now.

Quick hit time:

• Chris Kreider continued his impressive season this past weekend. BC moved to a 6-1 record last weekend as first beat UMass 4-2 on Friday (Kreider was scoreless) and then thumped the same club 6-3 whereby Kreider was all over the scoreboard. Grabbing 2 goals and an assist, Kreider had 6 shots and went +2 as he had the game winner as well as a PP goal too. Kreider has 11 points in 8 games this season.
• Scott Stajcer continues to improve as the season goes on. The rust seems to be gone as the goalie has improved to a 2-2-2 record but has a strong .920 save percentage and a much healthier 2.62 GAA. Stajcer stopped 39 of 40 shots on Sunday as Owen Sound beat Windsor 4-1.
• Christian Thomas is sporting an ugly -8 rating in just 13 games as his Oshawa Generals continue to play mediocre hockey with a 7-8-0-2 record this season.
• Sam Noreau is off to a nice start for Baie-Comeau in the QMJHL, going 1+7 in 11 games as well as sporting a strong +8 rating.
• Despite being pointless in his last 2 games Jesper Fasth still has 14 points in 16 games for HV71 in the SEL.
• Blueliner Mikhail Pashnin has 2 goals for CSKA in the KHL (in 19 games).

Christian Thomas is currently sitting through a ten game suspension in the OHL for high sticking. The ban began on 24^th October. With high draft picks Boone Jenner and Niklas Jensen in the line-up, Oshawa should have – at least offensively – been able to cope without Thomas but they’ve been whipped 5-2 and 6-2 in their past two games. Neither player has managed to score in the defeats so Oshawa will want to get Thomas back as quickly as possible.

Prospect Watch: Miller Time

He had a good camp and now he’s truly settling in to his OHL rookie campaign. JT Miller scored 2 goals against Sarnia on Saturday night as he played his most impressive game of the young season, offensively speaking. Miller has 9 points in 9 games to begin the year which is no mean feat for the youngster as his Plymouth team has begun the season winning just four of their first 10 games. You may have heard of the name sitting right behind Miller on team scoring: Andy Bathgate. If Miller can show offensive consistency all season Miller will keep his name in the immediate discussion for the professional ranks next season. It will be interesting to see whether Miller has any kind of college wall in junior as the OHL season is similar in length to the pros.

Miller may have left college for the junior circuit but two Ranger prospects are still making waves in college. While Chris Kreider is garnering a lot of attention for his solid start (rightly so) Danny Hobbs has kept pace with the BC winger as both players have 5 points in their first four games. Both players are among offensive leaders nationally. Hobbs’ numbers however may be more impressive on one hand as he has his 5 points in just 2 games however Kreider’s level of competition has been tougher. Kreider however seems to have a case of Rangeritis as he already has 10 penalty minutes on the season, a number he’d do well to keep as low as possible.

Prospect Quick Hits:

• As we mentioned last week (before the bandwagon got rolling….) Jesper Fasth has been enjoying an exceptional start to his campaign in the SEL. How good? With his 11 points in 11 games to start the year Fasth (a 20 year old in the senior league) is 7^th overall in league scoring. With a game winner and a power play goal to his credit, Fasth is getting goals in a variety of situations. America bound next year? At this rate, very likely.
• Peter Čerešňák has had a solid start to the year for his OHL Petes side. With 5 points (1+4) and a +4 in his first 9 games the big defenseman seems to be settling in well to Canadian Junior. He’ll be an interesting one to follow throughout the year as he and Yogan look to lead the Petes.
• Camp try outs doing well? He may not have been with the Rangers long but TJ Foster has been in great form for the WHL Oil Kings of Edmonton. He has 11 points in 11 games as he looks to earn another look from a big club. Maybe the Rangers will look at Foster again?
• Scott Stajcer has had a rough start (rust?) back in the OHL. In his first two games Stajcer has two losses, an inflated GAA of 4.50 and a save percentage of just .859; Stajcer will be hoping to get back on track as he looks to stay relevant in the organisation. It’s hard not to think that Stajcer’s and Chad Johnson’s futures are closely entwined this season.
• Boone Jenner is leading his club but Christian Thomas is slowly heating up. The Oshawa General has started scoring with more regularity and has now hit 7 points (4 goals) in 10 games. It’ll be hard to replicate last year given his start but as many people have said it’s not just about numbers for Thomas this season.

We’ll look in more detail throughout the next week or so at one or two of the prospects making some noise this season. The pipeline is still full folks.  

Prospect Watch – Crazy over Kreider

It’s the start of hockey season so it’s time to keep our regular check on the next wave of Rangers.

Chris Kreider has been guilty of slow starts in seasons past. Not this year. In the first two games of Boston College’s season, Kreider came up with big goals (and an assist) to help his side open the season in impressive fashion. Throw in a healthy +3 to boot and you have yourself, statistically a nice start to an important year.

Many expected/wanted Kreider to go pro and when he didn’t it raised eyebrows but Kreider needs to dominate and he appears to be heading towards that level of hockey. With his now well known speed still causing havoc, by all accounts Kreider appears a more rounded hockey player so far which only bodes well. Showing that he will be a core piece for BC this season, Kreider captured the MVP title in the ‘Ice Breaker’ tournament thanks to his offensive showing. If Kreider can have a dominating year, he’ll be a huge candidate to go straight to New York next season. Patience for now though.

A player that in part due to injury may have become slightly forgotten is Swedish draftee Jesper Fasth. After an impressive WJC last year, Fasth has made huge offensive strides in the SEL this season. With 10 points, 4 goals and a mighty +8 to begin the year with HV71 Fasth is showing he could become a great pick-up and add to the Rangers growing Swedish core. With a big season under his belt Fasth could pressure the likes of Thomas, Kreider and co. as the next wave of Rangers offense matures towards NYC.

Two players most Rangers fans are counting on are indeed Thomas, back in the OHL and joining him in Ontario, JT Miller. With an NHL contract under his belt and a new league to conquer, at least offensively Miller has started well with 5 points in 6 games. It will be interesting to see how Miller handles a much longer season – it will certainly stand him in good stead for professional play when the time comes. Thomas on the other hand has had a relatively muted start to his year when compared to his brilliant season, last time around. With 3 goals in 7 games Thomas is off to a decent but not hot start. Numbers aren’t the most critical part for Thomas this year – he needs to develop physically and get ready for his likely introduction to the pro ranks next season.

• With a group of offensive kids like Kreider, Miller, Thomas and Fasth there is still a ton of skill on its way to New York. There may be plenty of players in New York looking over their shoulders if they have sub-par seasons this year thanks to the stream of prospects making their way through the system.

Selected Prospect Quick Hits:

• Oscar Lindberg has started his SEL campaign going 1+2 in 9 games for AIK
• Shane McColgan was goalless in 4 games but did have 5 helpers to open his season in the WHL
• In the BCHL Steve Fogarty had 2+4 in 7 games for Penticton.
• Scott Stajcer is still with Owen Sound after being returned to the OHL by the Rangers
• Mikhail Pashnin was pointless in his first 10 for CSKA in the KHL

Each week we’ll focus on a few of the core prospects and provide some updates on other Rangers prospects doing good or bad as their year’s progress. Keep checking in. 

Musings: Busy Rangers Week Edition

It’s Thursday and that mean’s Musings. Following up on a pretty busy week in Ranger land, let’s get things going.

Ryan Callahan: New York Rangers captain. Sounds good doesn’t it? In another example of the organisation simply doing the right thing (they’ve been doing it for a while now) the Rangers have a home grown leader and one that is immensely easy to root for.

The most annoying part of Traverse City? I haven’t watched a single second of any game. I can’t get MSG coverage in the UK and for some odd reason highlight packages appear impossible to find. Anyone have any access to some?

Having said all that I have obviously followed the scores, the coverage on the blogs and have been impressed with what I have read. I love the fact this franchise of ours is blessed with serious talent and it’s now being seen in Rangers red, white and blue.

Christian Thomas – as good as advertised?

Tim Erixon I: is a great pick-up and is another example of the great work (in recent seasons) of Glen Sather. Yes, Mr Sather has a long way to go before being loved and it might take a Cup win in NY for him to get some fan-love but there’s no denying Sather has done well recently. Erixon Jr is further testament to the great foundation being set in New York.

Tim Erixon II: You just read the name of the Rangers rookie of the year 2011-2012.

Let’s play guess: How many players from the Traverse City roster do you all think will represent the Rangers this season? I think 3 will make their Rangers’ debuts this season with a possible fourth, dependant on how he starts his season with the Whale. The fourth? Blake Parlett. The three I’m confident of? Bourque, Hagelin and obviously Erixon.

Hate to say I told you so: I talked up Ryan Bourque a few weeks ago as a prospect that could sneak on to the Rangers roster despite not garnering the same attention as others. Well, he’s done nothing but impress thus far, going on reports. Another middle of the draft steal for NYR?

The Rangers kick off their regular season in 3 weeks and 1 day. Stockholm here we come!

2nd place is not bad. You have to learn how to lose as well as how to win. That may sound like I am rolling off clichés but it is a fact. The Rangers lost 5-2 in last night’s final game against Buffalo but it’s still a productive tournament for the Rangers who now know a lot more about many of their prospects. Bear in mind that the Sabres also had a lot of players dressed in the game that will be pro’s this season, including a few players that already played AHL last year. Indeed, one of their scorers had a 40 point AHL season last season.

Many, many positives to take but it’s tough to hear Andrew Yogan has injured his arm again. He was starting to cement his status as a solid prospect after recovering from his injury last season. Fingers crossed it won’t keep him out nearly as long this year.

Just a point on the Callahan captaincy: am I being cynical but do you think the Rangers held off stating the obvious because awarding Cally the captaincy before his new deal would have given him much more financial negotiating power? A bargaining chip like a captaincy is worth a lot if you ask me. Timing of the announcement was thought about a lot, clearly.

I have to say I agree with Jess Rubenstein over JT Miller. I think Miller will benefit from a bigger schedule in the OHL than playing half the amount of games in college. While North Dakota is well known for it’s hockey program Miller clearly will benefit from game after game after game.

I am unbelievably excited to see the Rangers in Stockholm next month. Not just because I’ll be there at the games (an obvious reason for the excitement) but because of the way this franchise approaches games whether it be the kids or the big boys stepping on to the ice. The work rate and the effort the team gives game in-game out is intoxicating. It’s hard not to love the way this team plays hockey.

I’m going to finish today’s Musings with a prediction. The Rangers play two games in Stockholm and I’m saying now, they come back to New York 2-0. They play two good teams but I really fancy the Rangers to win both games. Thoughts?

Which Rangers Prospect Has Greatest Expectancy Next Season

While Evgeny Grachev wasn’t the top rated Rangers prospect last season he was perhaps, given all the circumstances surrounding him (and his career progression – or lack of it) the one player with the most eyes on him among media and fans alike. Grachev was (and still is, until the new season draws closer) our recent most ‘Prospect Watch’ player on the website – see the Grachev Watch box.

From being drafted to dominating in the OHL to making a quick ascent to the pro ranks many, many fans expected Grachev to quickly establish himself in the system and indeed, as a Ranger. Prospect websites were touting him a blue chip prospect and he was routinely expected to firm up a place in the NHL, but that never happened. Today, Grachev is no longer a Ranger and perhaps a victim of the burden of expectancy.

Next season the Rangers have numerous prospects potentially taking the next step. Where those next steps take them however – at this stage – is anyone’s guess. Among the prospects with a ton of expectancy surrounding them are Swedish pair Carl Hagelin and Tim Erixon (straight to NYC?), as well as prospects JT Miller (given the controversy surrounding his league move), Oscar Lindberg, AHL mainstay Dale Weise (last chance saloon?) and WJC stars Jesper Fasth and Chris Kreider.

Which player will be most closely watched? Which prospect do you want Blue Seat Blogs to follow the most? –using the prospect watch section. You may be most intrigued by recent draftees like Shane McColgan (can he get back to the level which had him tabbed as a first rounder) or Mike St Croix and/or Steve Fogarty.

The Rangers are in a great situation these days. The above named group of prospects are just a small handful of Rangers prospects worth monitoring over the coming season. The Rangers are blessed with depth in almost every position both at the NHL level and below. We’ll be keeping tabs on all the Rangers prospects including Dylan McIlrath and Ryan Bourque as well. Just let us know who you’re most interested in the comments section. Have at it, we’ll check in a few times ahead of training camp.

J.T. Miller Press Release

RANGERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH 2011 FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK J.T. MILLER

New York, July 28, 2011 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward J.T. Miller.

Miller, 18, was selected by the Rangers with the 15th overall choice in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft on June 24. The East Palestine, Ohio native led Team USA in scoring with 13 points in six tournament contests en route to capturing the gold medal at the 2011 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship in Germany. He tied for third among all tournament skaters in points, fourth in assists (nine), sixth in goals (four), and seventh with a plus-eight rating. Miller was selected by tournament coaches as Team USA’s top player during the elite tournament after leading Team USA in points and assists, and finishing second on the team in goals and plus/minus rating.

Last season, Miller skated in 48 games with the U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL), registering 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points, along with 80 penalty minutes. He established USHL career-highs in games played, assists, points, and penalty minutes, and ranked third on the team in points, and second in assists and penalty minutes. Miller also established career-highs with two shorthanded goals and three game-winning goals, and notched a USA U-18 career best, two power play goals. His two shorthanded goals tied for the team lead, while his three game-winning goals tied for fourth on the club.

Internationally, Miller registered three goals and eight assists for 11 points in eight contests at the Four Nations Cup in Sundsvall, Sweden and the Five Nations Tournament in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. He notched two goals and three assists for five points in four games at the 2010 Four Nations Cup from November 10-14. In addition, Miller tallied six points (one goal, five assists) in four games at the 2011 Five Nations Tournament from February 7-13. He led all tournament skaters with five assists, and ranked seventh in scoring with six points.

The 6-1, 200-pounder has appeared in 95 career games over two seasons with the U.S. National Development Team (USHL), registering 26 goals and 42 assists for 68 points, along with 159 penalty minutes. In 2009-10, Miller established USHL career-highs in goals (15) and power play goals (four), and finished with 31 points while skating in 46 games with the U.S. National Under-17 Team (USHL). He also helped lead Team USA to a first-place finish at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Timmins, Ontario, tallying a team-high, five goals, and finishing second on the team in scoring with nine points during the tournament.

Please refer to the attached file for J.T. Miller’s complete amateur record.

Rangers Sign 2011 First Round Pick J.T. Miller

As per Andrew Gross, the Rangers have agreed to terms with J.T. Miller, this year’s first round pick.  Miller was selected 15th overall this year, and was a bit of a surprise pick by Gordie Clark and company.  This month, Miller decided to renege on his verbal commitment to the University of North Dakota and play for the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL this season.  Players in the OHL, WHL, or QMJHL are considered to be “professional” and lose their NCAA eligibility.

If you followed my discussions with Kevein DeLury (NYRangersBlog) and Mike Gleich (Bleeding All Blue) on Twitter a few weeks ago, then you noticed that Miller –who was not a Canadian Juniors draft pick– is eligible to play int he AHL and the CT Whale this season (for those keeping track, I was wrong in that discussion).  That is highly unlikely, as Miller playing in the AHL means the Rangers lose a year on his entry level deal.  If Miller goes to the OHL, his contract will slide, and his entry level clock won’t start.

The deal is a standard entry level deal, thus it is a three year, two way contract. Dollar amount has not been disclosed.

Musing’s Day; Everyone has a deal day

I was going to pen today’s Musings much like Dave did with Dubi last week, as ‘Cally-day’. Then the future Rangers captain went and ruined it all by signing up on Wednesday instead. Anyway, onwards!

My thoughts on the Callahan signing: Obviously he was always coming back and the cap hit is fine. In an ideal world he’s no more than $4m/year but even I won’t argue with $300k difference. Disappointed by the length a little though, although I also understand why it’s not longer. That said, here’s a poser for you: Does Callahan see in his 30^th as a Ranger? Will he be too expensive for their liking after 3 years are up? Just a thought….

Get Jealous: Every facet of my Stockholm trip is finally booked. Yours truly will be seeing Henrik in Henrik land and the official debut of the latest greatest Rangers center, Mr B Richards. Good times.

Get Jealous II: A very kind twitter follower/Rangers fan informed me that there is a beer/food festival in Stockholm the same weekend as the Rangers games. Seriously, that weekend couldn’t be more promising!

How you like them apples: I’m making a prediction that the Rangers have three 30 goal scorers next season. Big call as not many teams even get two. I’ll let you think who I’m referring to.

Ex Rangers done good? I’m happy that Vinny ‘the tan’ Prospal landed in a good situation. I liked him as a person and as a player and personally felt he could have still contributed in NY but I also don’t blame the club for moving on. With the right line mates, (Nash and Carter) Vinny could very well hit 55 points next season.

Ex Rangers done not so good? I’m disappointed Nigel Dawes’ career has resorted to a short term deal in the KHL. Hopefully, like many others have, he uses the league (and a good season) as a way back. I always thought he had the tools to be a regular 20 goal scorer in the NHL. He made the Rangers a couple of years too early.

Ryan Callahan, Derek Stepan and Brandon Dubinsky will all be in the 50 point club next year. Given that none of them will be on the top line I think it’s another bold call on my part. They could form to become the best second line in the league. Wow… I’m full of boldness today.

Funny moment: Yesterday a woman came into my bar and told me that I look like Cristiano Ronaldo. I tried not to laugh. My riposte? If he’s fat, un-tanned, and has a team-first ethic I’m your man. Clearly, CLEARLY I look nothing like him. Dave will surely attest! (be nice Dave…)

• Where do you guys think Brad Richards finishes in league scoring as a first year Ranger?
• Quick poll: Over/Under on Gaborik’s total games played? I’m going with over 70.
• Henrik Lundqvist over/under for total wins? I’m going for over 40. For the first time.

Which prospect is likely to be the first call up during the season? I think there are So many genuine candidates it’s impossible to predict and that’s a great thing. The point here: Depth baby, depth.

Not beyond the realms of impossibility: The Rangers AND the Whale making the conference finals.

Rangers I’m most intrigued at seeing in October: Brad Richards (obviously), Tim Erixon (hopefully) and Mats Zuccarello (maybe).

Film time: I recently watched the chick comedy Bridesmaids. Not bad at all but if they remove the fat chick it’s not a funny film. I’m watching Horrible Bosses tonight. Guarantee it’ll be funnier.

Has the Rangers summer arrived – are all their moves made? I think they are done until camp but maybe it depends on who becomes available. Think it also depends what Torts has planned for Dubinsky and Wolski. If he’s happy to begin the year with the two of them as his top left wing pair I think they are definitely done. It might all rest on WoWo.

Prospect Talk; Do you guys think JT Miller (and other NYR prospects) would be better off in college or with Plymouth of the OHL? Personally I like to see prospects play as much as possible if they are physically at an advanced stage already. Miller is apparently in good physical shape for his age so 70+ games in juniors is my preference. Would Miller’s chances at a WJC spot be damaged by heading to the CHL?

And the grandstand finish: Glen Sather is a good general manager.

see you’z all next time.

Who Is J.T. Miller?

When the Rangers selected JT Miller during the first round of the NHL draft many, probably the vast majority of Rangers fans were caught off guard. Many expected (many hoped) Mark McNeil’s name to be called as the much fancied center was still on the board. However Gordie Clark and the Rangers went back to a well they have visited a lot recently.

The Rangers went with another college bound and US NTDP prospect in JT Miller. Chris Peters, editor of the fantastic United States of Hockey blog (and former US hockey PR guy) took time out of his busy schedule to give his unique insight (thanks to his extensive US hockey experience) into the Rangers latests first round hope. A big thanks to Chris for offering his opinion, we’ll let him tell you the rest.

Greetings, Blue Seat Blogs readers. I’m Chris Peters, editor of The United States of Hockey, and I’m here to tell you more about the young man your beloved Rangers drafted with the 15^th overall pick on Friday night.

First off, I’ve seen J.T. Miller play a ton over the last two years as the former PR coordinator at the National Team Development Program and as the play-by-play broadcaster at the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship and have always been a fan of his game.

I know there was some concern out of Blueshirt nation regarding passing over Mark McNeill and the like, so allow me to put your mind at ease some.

As far as I’m concerned, the Rangers didn’t really make a reach, though the pick is not without risk. J.T. Miller is a physically gifted hockey player who plays an exciting brand of hockey. He skates well, hits a bunch and has enough offensive skill to put the puck in the net or set up a teammate.

The biggest concern with Miller is a valid one, and that’s his consistency. I’ve written on more than one occasion that his consistency is probably indicative of his inability to decide what kind of player he is supposed to be. There were too many times in the last two years that Miller has gotten away from what makes him successful, and that’s focusing on his strengths as opposed to forcing a certain style of play on himself.

When he focuses on the offensive side of his game as he did at the World Under-18 Championship, he’s easily a Top-15-caliber player. Usually in those games, he’s also solid in his own end, because he’s playing a more controlled style at that point. When he decides to run around hitting everything that moves, he’s prone to penalties and bad decisions with the puck. That’s not the style of game he needs to be playing. He can’t lose the physicality, but should be more selective in how he uses his size and strength.

The challenge is reining him in, but the good news is he’s going to an excellent school for pro-hockey development. The University of North Dakota is probably one of the best schools you could hope for your prospect to go to due to their track record of developing players. I don’t know, but perhaps you’ve heard of Jonathan Toews and Zach Parise. Additionally, he should have some time to mature off the ice and bring that level of maturity to his game.

Miller looks like he could be a top six guy, but perhaps more realistically will be a third liner with scoring punch. He can play a two-way game well enough and brings energy to every shift. He’s tough to play against and at times overpowers his competition. I really believe Miller is more versatile than he’s shown so far and has more to unlock yet.

The reason I like the pick for the Rangers is because it has home-run potential. It’s not a sure-fire hit, but the way that Miller has progressed over the years leads me to believe he’s still got a ways to go before we see what he becomes at the next level. That’s what should have Rangers fans excited. We haven’t seen J.T. Miller hit his peak and may not for a few more years. He’s good now, but he can and likely will get better, much better.

Miller will require some patience as he has a lot to learn yet, but our very last viewing of him was at the World Under-18 Championship, in which he looked like a future star.

If he builds off of that momentum and continues on this track at North Dakota, it won’t be too terribly long before he’s playing under the bright lights of New York City.

So there you have it. An insight into the Rangers latest first rounder. It appears that Miller’s issues are things many prospects experience – consistency, ability to focus on his own strengths and perhaps decision making (like choosing when to make a hit etc). Given his apparent upside though, and the facts that he brings a combination of skills that the Rangers could do with, Miller sounds like a good solid pick that could add to the Rangers young core in the future.

Once again, thanks to Chris for taking time to contributing to the blog and providing some great insight into someone that hopefully becomes a big part of the Rangers future. Be sure to follow Chris on twitter at @chrismpeters