J.T. Miller handed a massive responsibility for the New York Rangers 2025-26 season
Photo credit: Danny Wild-imagn images
Stan Fischler of The Hockey News details the latest responsibilities we can expect JT Miller of the New York Rangers to hold in 2025-26. Miller, a former Rangers draft pick, returned home to Madison Square Garden in a trade with the Canucks in 2025.
The New York Rangers need to find something they lacked in 2024-25: an identity. For JT Miller, someone who's familiar with postseason play throughout his career as a Ranger, Canucks, and Lightning forward.
Now he'll be tasked with helping to rebuild morale from the bottom up as a leader in the organization, that is according to former MSG Network announcer Joe Micheletti.
"Spirit." Or, the team-wide lack of same. As any viewer would confirm, on a "Spirit Meter," the 2024-25 Rangers would come out with a Minus-The-Radical-50 rating. Translated to Brooklyn English it comes out to Ugh! and UGH!
A tall task for a locker room that was broken with the removal of Jacob Trouba and Barclay Goodrow from the roster.
By ruthless methods, which defied basic human decency by any standards, in our opinion.
JT Miller will not only be instrumental in being a leader, but he'll have to figure out a way to use his leadership skills to raise the spirit in the locker room.
From bottom-dwellers to killers, a mindset we haven't seen the Rangers use since the 2023-24 season, the comeback kids year.
Miller has four years left on his $8 million AAV deal, and was brought into the Rangers organization and turn it around, and while we have yet to see the finished product from Chris Drury,
"Miller has the chance to make an impact in New York for years to come," wrote Ryan Kennedy in The Hockey News. "Chris Drury made a great deal in acquiring Miller."
While the Rangers have a small sample size of success with Miller back in the lineup, he's proven capable of making his teammates better, including Mika Zibanejad.
This season in 72 games, he's scored 70 points (22-48), and could be the one player to turn things around in Madison Square Garden.
Previously on NYRangersInsider
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 25 | 79 ANSWERS J.T. Miller handed a massive responsibility for the New York Rangers 2025-26 season Can forward JT Miller, a New York Ranger, turn the team into competitors once again with his mindset? | ||
| Yes | 67 | 84.8 % |
| No | 12 | 15.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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