At this time last year, veteran J.T. Miller was a Vancouver Canucks center about to build on an excellent 2023-24 campaign.

In short order, those high expectations all fell apart.

Miller's behind-the-scenes feud with Elias Pettersson became public. It hampered the camaraderie in the Canucks’ dressing room until Miller was traded to the New York Rangers at the end of January. The Rangers, of course, were Presidents' Trophy winners in 2023-24 and were also falling down the rankings.

On Tuesday, Miller was named captain of the Rangers. 

What a difference a year can make.

Miller getting the captaincy is kind of wild, especially given his situation with Pettersson that dragged down the vibes in Vancouver.

Getting the captaincy may also be a comment on where the leadership in the Rangers’ dressing room is to give the ‘C’ to someone who hasn’t yet played a full season with the organization – at least, in Miller’s latest (and second) stint in Manhattan.

We’re not suggesting Miller is the wrong choice as Rangers captain. With the leadership structure clearly defined, Miller’s relentless drive will be the overriding message for the rest of the team, which also fell down the standings after a strong 2023-24 season.

So the other Blueshirts will need to be on board with Miller or step aside and find their way with another team. But Miller’s hyper-intensity may rub off on his teammates, and his singular focus and drive could be what the Rangers need to get back into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Still, part of you wonders why Rangers defenseman Adam Fox or center Vincent Trocheck didn’t get the ‘C.’

Fox has been a cornerstone component of the team for years now and has worn the ‘A’ as an alternate captain for the last three years. Trocheck, meanwhile, consistently faces the press after wins and losses, and he had alternate captain experience with the Florida Panthers. Fox, Trocheck, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad will wear the 'A' this season.

Only time will tell whether Miller matches or breaks his career-high 37 goals and 103 points he set with the Canucks in 2023-24. He has five seasons left on his contract with the Rangers at $8 million per year. But if Miller is a part of a Rangers renaissance this season, Drury’s trade for him last season and the team's choice to give him the ‘C’ this year will be lauded as crucial parts of the team’s rebound in the standings.

Miller is an all-star caliber competitor and a hard-nosed bulldog on the puck at both ends of the ice. The Rangers need more of those traits, and now, they have a clear path forward in the style of the veteran who somehow played his way out of Vancouver.

A lot can change in a year, and Miller’s rollercoaster ride may ultimately be the best for him on the ice and off of it.

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