J.T. Miller Bouncing Back Is Crucial for a Successful Rangers Season – The Hockey Writers – New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are hoping to have a more successful season than the last two. With all the moves they have made this offseason, it is still crucial that they get a bounce-back season from one of their most important players. Captain J.T. Miller did not have a great first season as the team’s leader for a number of reasons. Now heading into 2026-27, it is key for him to have a successful season if the Rangers want to make it back to the playoffs.

Injury-Plagued First Season as Captain

Miller was named captain of the team prior to the start of last season, the 100th season of Rangers hockey. Many questioned this decision, as he has never been a player who could quite control his emotions, both good and bad, and it was his emotions that led to all the drama in Vancouver that got him traded back to New York. Whether fans liked it or not, he was now the captain, and it was his responsibility to try to help get the Rangers back to being competitive, as they had been last season. As we all know, that did not happen, and they finished as the worst in the Eastern Conference, and they ended up with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

It started back in training camp when Miller suffered an injury during practice. He did not play in any preseason games, and it was believed that he could miss the start of the season, but he insisted on playing. The injury impacted his play to start the season, and other injuries throughout the season led to a step back from his usual production. In 68 games, he scored 17 goals and recorded 53 points. While it might not look as bad on paper, he is expected to be more of a 70-80 point player, and his step back in production was a major factor in why the team finished so poorly last season.

No More Vincent Trocheck to Back Him Up

On paper, the Rangers had three pretty good centers going into last season. With Miller at the top, followed by Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck as the number two and three centers. While Zibanejad did have a great season, Trocheck’s season was also impacted by injuries, and when the team announced they were going into a retool, it became clear that he was going to be one of the players they traded. A trade did not happen during the season, but on July 1, Trocheck was traded to the Utah Mammoth. The months of rumors were finally over, but now the Rangers have a hole at center and have not done anything to address it so far this offseason.

With Miller and Zibanejad still on the team, it looks as if they are going to rely on Noah Laba to step up and be the third-line center in just his second season as a pro. While Laba does have some similar skills to Trocheck when it comes to his skating and defensive play, it’s a lot to ask of a 22-year-old entering his second season to take up that role. This is why it’s important for Miller to have a better season, as the Rangers don’t have a player like Trocheck anymore who they could rely on to step up if Miller struggles or is out of the lineup.

Two New Possible Linemates to Start The Season

If the Rangers decide to keep the line of Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, and Gabe Perreault together, this means Miller is going to have two new linemates to start this season. The team brought in Pavel Dorofeyev via trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, and they signed Oliver Bjorkstrand as a free agent on July 1. Dorofeyev is known for his elite goal scoring, and that is an area the Rangers struggled in last season. Miller is known more as a playmaker, so if those two can find some chemistry, they could be one of the more impactful duos the team has seen in a long time.

With Bjorkstrand, he was not the best fit with the Tampa Bay Lightning over the past two seasons, but he has scored 20 or more goals five times throughout his career. If the Rangers don’t make any more moves this offseason, he is going to get a chance in the top six and will have Miller as his center. It’s going to be up to Miller to try to get his new linemates acclimated to playing in New York and playing under Mike Sullivan’s system. They also brought in a few other new players, so as captain, he is going to have to make sure they feel comfortable and accepted on their new team.

Miller has been a pretty polarizing player over the past few years in the NHL. He went from being an over-100-point player in Vancouver to being traded away less than six months later. He is now captain of an Original Six team and is playing in one of the most important markets in all of sports. Heading into this season, it is crucial for him to have a bounce-back season, as if he doesn’t or is injured again, the team doesn’t have any true backup plans. It’s time for him to put up or shut up.