Danny Wild-Imagn ImagesWith Vincent Trocheck traded by the New York Rangers to the Utah Mammoth earlier in the offseason, it seems as if J.T. Miller will resume being a full-time center for the 2026-27 season.
For a large chunk of the 2025-26 campaign, Miller played on the wing alongside either Mika Zibanejad or Vincent Trocheck.
Between Miller, Trocheck, and Zibanejad, Mike Sullivan had center depth.
However, he was faced with the difficult decision of whether to prioritize balance and slot all three forwards at center or ensuring the top-six forward unit was strong enough, which oftentimes required Miller to switch to the wing.
“We’ve had this running conversation all year long, whether we play J.T. in the middle and play Mika, J.T. and (Trocheck) up the middle or do we play them together?” Sullivan said in April. “The reality is because of the injuries … it really didn’t leave us a lot of options…
“He (Miller) shared his experiences with being in the middle versus playing on the wing,” Sullivan said. “When he was playing with Mika for a fair amount or playing with ‘Troch,’ we felt they were interchangeable, because J.T. would end up down low sometimes and even though we would line up on the wing on some face-offs, he ended up playing center half the time and vice versa.”
Miller had one of his least productive statistical seasons in many years, as he recorded 17 goals, 36 assists, and 53 points in 68 games.
There are a multitude of reasons for this drop-off in production, and some of which include injury trouble, the switch from center to wing, and taking a more shutdown role, matching up against the opposing team’s top offensive line.
Toward the tail end of last season, Miller switched back to playing center, and he admitted he feels more comfortable playing down the middle.
“It feels good to be back in the middle,” Miller said after an April 1 practice. “I definitely am playing better at center. I think I’m more engaged. I think I’m a better version of myself than at wing, but there are scenarios where you do what’s best for the team.”
The 33-year-old captain could take on a top-six shutdown role at center to start the season with Zibanejad better suited to center the Rangers’ top offensive line.
Unless Noah Laba takes a significant leap or another center emerges, Miller should mold back into the usual center role he’s been generally accustomed to.
