Why Rangers desperately need best version of J.T. Miller sooner, not later
J.T. Miller’s first game as captain of the New York Rangers didn’t go as hoped.
The Rangers looked flat in their 2025-26 opener, falling 3-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in front of a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Miller was among the many who struggled, failing to record a shot on goal, being credited with only one hit, and on ice for two empty-net goals in just over 18 minutes of ice time.
“I don’t think he played many games as a Ranger worse than that one last night” MSG network analyst and former NHL goaltender Steve Valiquette offered after the game. “He looked like he was carrying a piano at times, and that’s probably the injury and not being up to speed and pace.”
Miller sustained a lower-body injury in practice Sept. 29, which sidelined him for the remainder of the preseason. As such, the 14-year NHL veteran seemed a far cry from his typical self in the regular-season opener.
Miller acknowledged as much postgame.
“Not great. Kind of what I expected,” the Rangers captain told reporters when asked about his current physical state. “Legs were heavy today. I haven’t had a whole lot of reps, but that will come with time.”
Appearing in just one of New York’s six preseason games, Miller wasn’t the only key forward limited during training camp. Star left wing Artemi Panarin was held out of the preseason entirely after a lower-body injury scare and, later, an upper-body issue. Neither player looked particularly sharp on Tuesday night.
“Those two guys are jumping on a moving train,” coach Mike Sullivan admitted after practice on Wednesday. “When you miss that much time, it’s not easy to jump back into an NHL game, an NHL pace, and just even from a conditioning standpoint. We’ll take each day as it comes, and we’ll try to manage it accordingly.”
Lines at practice remained identical to those rolled out for the season opener, so both Panarin and Miller appear good to go Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres.
J.T. Miller injury has wide-reaching effects on Rangers
Miller and Sullivan threaded a fine line postgame, affirming that the losing effort was not reflective of their expectations, while asserting that it was still the first game of the season, with plenty of time for improvement.
The bottom line is the Rangers won’t win many games with efforts like the one Tuesday. And if Miller is as physically hindered as he appeared, that’s a significant roadblock to the Rangers getting back on track.
“It’s early, of course, but he knows it gets late early in the NHL,” warned Valiquette. “The first 10 games, you can get left in the dust and it’s over.”
On numerous levels, Miller is a tone-setter for the Rangers.
New York’s bottom six, as presently constructed, combined for 21 NHL goals last season. Granted, third-line center Noah Laba made his NHL debut on Tuesday, and veteran winger Conor Sheary appeared in just five games with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2024-25. Nonetheless, the point stands — neither of the bottom two lines should be relied on for much production.
It’s no indictment of the bottom six. In fact, the Rangers’ third and fourth lines were fairly effective in an otherwise drab season opener, and fit well within the design of Sullivan’s system.
It does, however, place considerable weight on a top-heavy first two lines, led by Panarin, who had 89 points last season and 120 in 2023-24, to drive the offense. Should it falter, there may not be enough scoring punch in New York’s checking lines to pick up the slack — as evidenced by the shutout loss in the season opener.
Just two seasons removed from a career-best 37-goal, 103-point season with the Vancouver Canucks, Miller figures to be a catalyst — and that’s especially true for his linemates.
Miller centers two of the biggest X-factors for the Rangers. On his left is 23-year-old Will Cuylle, fresh off a breakout 20-goal season and looking to cement himself as a fixture in New York’s top six. On his right, the mercurial Mika Zibanejad, looking to recapture his once-dominant scoring touch as he begins the 2025-26 campaign on the wing.
Zibanejad showed some promising bursts against Pittsburgh, pacing the Rangers with seven shots on goal. It was a less impressive showing for Cuylle, who finished with the worst HockeyStatCards impact card of any player on either side — and Miller wasn’t far behind.
While the trio led all lines in high-danger chances (per Natural Stat Trick), Miller’s impaired mobility hindered their ability to generate offense consistently.
Then there’s the element of Miller’s game that might not always manifest in a stat sheet.
In September, the Rangers named the 32-year-old as their captain, hoping he could spark some much-needed change for a team seeking to rebound from a disappointing collapse the season prior.
Beyond his offensive talent, Miller is a hard-nosed, no-nonsense, physical player capable of doing the dirty work — attributes the Rangers are eager to embrace. But it was those aspects of his game that appeared to evade Miller as he labored through the opener Tuesday.
“I’m just doing everything I can to get the game legs ready,” Miller noted Wednesday. “Obviously, last week, I wasn’t doing a whole lot, so it’s hard to jump in, but unfortunately, it’s one of those things that I just gotta do as much as I can to get my body ready sooner.”
It should come as no surprise if Miller serves as New York’s barometer this season, capable of swaying the team’s fortunes through his own play, good or bad.
Whether it’s a simple matter of reps or a lingering concern remains to be seen, although New York should certainly hope for the former. They’ll need a healthy and effective Miller if they’re to achieve the success they envision this season.
