In Goalie Landon Miller, Red Wings Spot Size to Build On
The Red Wings drafted OHL Soo goaltender Landon Miller in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, eyeing his large frame as a foundation to develop
LAS VEGAS — Reflecting on the NHL Draft being held at Sphere, goaltender Landon Miller gave a rather unique response. “It feels like it’s like a Legoland over here,” Miller joked.
That’s probably not what most people would compare such a visually-stunning Las Vegas spectacle to, but perhaps Miller just had bricks on the mind. After all, his career has been intertwined with bricks — both Legos and the annual Brick Invitational hockey tournament — since he was 10. He’s also been acquainted with the Winged Wheel for just as long, having played for the Detroit Junior Red Wings at that tournament.
Saturday, Miller became a Red Wing once again. The Detroit Red Wings — the NHL team, this time — picked him in the fourth round, 126th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. And bricks are a fitting metaphor for what the Red Wings are looking to get out of him. His 6-foot-5 size and mobility offer a foundation for him to build other skills onto, hoping to make the most of him in a position where stars are akin to walls.
The Red Wings drafted Miller after his first full season with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, whose jersey bears a little resemblance to the Red Wings’ own sweaters. Miller played 30 games as the backup and finished with a 17-6-0 record. He also posted a 2.79 goals against average and a .889 save percentage in those games. He was the sixth ranked North American goaltender by NHL Central Scouting.
When asked about Miller, Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said that director of amateur scouting Kris Draper was more familiar with his game, but he did get to see Miller play one road game against the Flint Firebirds. Even with limited viewing, he said he noticed Miller’s size and the way he moved with it.
Even if Miller needs a lot of polishing, goalies of his size are hard to find. Even rarer are big goalies who move gracefully. While Miller is imperfect, and even a bit inexperienced with just 35 career OHL games under his belt, he’ll be the Soo’s starter next season with a chance to build off last season and the familiarity it gave him.
“It was exciting to be a part of a good team and have a good run this year,” Miller said of his first action in the OHL. “It was exciting to learn from some of the older guys and kind of get my feet wet in the league and really see what I can do.”
Miller is a project, but this isn’t a bad thing considering he plays a position where everybody is a project anyway. The Red Wings can afford to invest in long-term goalies like Miller thanks to their goaltending prospect depth. 2021 first round pick Sebastian Cossa is nearing readiness to play NHL games. 2023 second round pick Trey Augustine showed a lot of poise and talent across international and collegiate appearances. But if and when those two are at the pro level, Detroit still wants prospects in its pipeline.
“With the goaltender thing it's a little more complicated in that you want to make sure they have a runway, so to speak, to get to pro where they're going,” Yzerman told reporters, “and an opportunity when they do turn pro to have a spot to play. You don't want to have a logjam of goalies because you only have so many spots for them to play.”
Miller knows what it’s like to be in a logjam. It’s actually why he’s so familiar with the Red Wings. Back in 2015, he was left off two Toronto-based teams for the Brick Invitational. Former Red Wings player and current Quartexx agent Ryan Barnes was coaching the Detroit Red Wings team at the same tournament, and he added Miller to his own roster last minute. Miller responded by putting up a .918 save percentage and a 2.54 goals against average. Reflecting on the tournament, Miller called it one of his first experiences with “meaningful hockey.”
“I have one of those jerseys in my closet as well, so I guess we’ll add another one,” Miller said of his Brick Invitational jersey.
Nine years later, Miller is a Red Wings prospect for real. The Red Wings’ seventh round pick in the 2024 draft, left wing Austin Baker, also played for that team. And yes, the West Edmonton Mall that hosts the Brick Invitational has a Lego store.
Maybe that full circle experience is why Saturday at the Sphere felt like Legoland.
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