Let's get something straight, right here and now. The Maven is NOT enthused about J.T. Miller as the new Blueshirts' captain. Not even a little bit.
I wanted a young, dynamic, pure Ranger, namely Will Cuylle.
Nor would I have fussed and fumed if a really pure Ranger such as Adam Fox – six years pure from Jericho to Seventh Avenue – got the "C," not via the Vancouver route.
I'll level with you. When GM Chris Drury imported J.T. from the Canucks, I thought – hoped – he'd be a Junior Mark Messier. For what Drury gave up, I figured the least Miller could do would be to inspire and lead a playoff bid.
What he did do was score 35 points in 32 games. "He provided toughness, spark and leadership," says former Newsday beat writer Steve Ziipay in The Hockey News Yearbook.
Fair enough, but it's what he didn't do that matters. He didn't spark the team into the playoffs.
Let's face it, folks, Drury gambled on a guy who couldn't get along with one of the best young NHL talents, Canucks center Elias Pettersson.
Here's how Vancouver beat man Ben Kuzma described it in THN's Yearbook: "a prickly disconnect between Miller and Petterrsson" that "affected on ice performances and the mood in the room."
And, I might add, the J.T. -Elias feud led to the firing of a very good coach, Rich Tocchet. So, I ask you, is that the kind of captain you want for your beloved Blueshirts? You tell me.
What I'll give you here and now are the pluses and minuses of Miller as captain.
The pluses follow:
1. DRURY'S BOY: The GM traded for him and believes in J.T. – short for Just Terrific. (Better hope that The Boss knows what he's doing.)
2. INTENSITY: Miller can menace the opposition. When his, I.Q. (Intensity Quotient) is high, he's dangerous.)
The Rangers Are Sending A Clear Message By Naming J.T. Miller Capatin
By naming J.T. Miller captain, the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> are sending a clear message.
3. EXPERIENCE: As a former Ranger, he knows New York its, fans, the whoe intense scene; which is a major plus. And that includes dealing with the media.
4. SCORING: Averaging more than a point a game over 32 contests as a Ranger last season was not too bad. Over a full season, he can be better than a point-per-game player, considering the horrendous homestretch flopperoo.
The minuses:
1. AGE: At 32, Miller is on the downside of his career.
2. LEADERSHIP: He certainly did not pull off a Messier on his second Rangers visit.
3. ATTITUDE: The Canucks weren't exactly ga-ga over his handling the Pettersson mess.
Or, as Jess Rubenstein of HockeyHotStove tells me: "The Rangers named the wrong guy as captain. Miller's immaturity toward his teammates is going to cause issues in the locker room."
Maybe yes; maybe no. Time will tell!