The eternal debate over whether J.T. Miller is a better player on the wing than he is in the middle is almost beside the point. Because the pertinent question is whether No. 10 is more valuable to the Rangers on the wing or at center, the position he has played for the past two games and for substantial portions of six others.
“I think the coaching staff and I agree that I’m more effective offensively when I’m on the wing because playing there it’s easier for me to get to my strengths of skating, shooting and forechecking,” Miller said following his team’s Thanksgiving practice. “But if the coaches believe that I can help the team more by playing center, I’m more than fine with that.
“I’ve said it before, but you still have to play the 200 feet whether in the middle or at wing. And while there are some differences, I don’t think playing either position has all that much of an impact on my play. Or at least it shouldn’t.”
Alain Vigneault will have Miller in the Middle (a new sitcom, perhaps, if Bryan Cranston has some time?) between Michael Grabner and Mats Zuccarello for the third straight game when the Red Wings come to the Garden on Friday. The coach said he knows the 24-year-old prefers to play the wing — and further prefers the right to the left — but noted that his versatility is an extremely valuable asset.
“With our makeup right now, in my estimation, we’re a better team with J.T. playing center,” Vigneault said. “He’s a very important player for us. In order for our team to be successful, he has to play well. He is a big part of our team wherever he plays.”
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This is only Miller’s third full season with the team even though he made his debut with a 26-game run in 2012-13. The push-and-pull, the ups-and-downs, the tough love from Vigneault that previously manifested themselves in quick benchings, in-game demotions and sentences to the AHL have been part of the public tableau and the athlete’s maturation.
Miller’s embracement of his role as swing forward is a sign of his growth as a professional. Three years ago, in Edmonton on Dec. 14, 2014, Derick Brassard contracted the mumps hours before the Blueshirts’ match against the Oilers. That necessitated moving Miller from the wing into the middle in what became a 2-0 victory.
After the match, Miller was almost annoyed at having to switch positions, begrudgingly acknowledging, in so many words what was fair to interpret as, “If I have to do it, then I have to do it.”
Thursday, he laughed when reminded of it.
“Oh, I remember,” he said. “But it was completely different then. I’d been in the minors for the first month, I’d just been back for a short while, I was just fighting for a spot in the lineup on the fourth line.
“Let’s just say I wasn’t quite as mature as I am now.”
No Ranger competes harder on a more consistent basis than Miller, who might be the best pure passer on the team. The maturity to which he referred has manifested itself in a correction of the risk/reward matter on which the brash forward often found himself on the wrong side of the equation.
“J.T. has a lot of belief in himself,” Vigneault said. “He’s always been a player who wants to make a difference and there’s a great upside to that. But sometimes with the risk/reward element, he might have gotten us into trouble a little too often.
“But I think he has a much better understanding of that part of the game. In the game in Carolina on Wednesday, he made some outstanding down-low plays in our zone that allowed us to get out and create scoring opportunities. J.T. is a talented player who is figuring out how to be on the right side of the risk/reward percentage on a much more consistent basis.”
Miller, who has 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) overall, is tied with Mika Zibanejad for second on the club with nine five-on-five points (one goal, eight assists), one behind club leader Kevin Hayes. Miller is third among forwards and is seventh on the club with 12:34 of five-on-five ice time per game.
“A lot has come with experience,” said Miller, who will be in for a serious pay hike as a restricted free agent this July coming off his two-year bridge deal at $2.75 million per. “I’ve learned a lot about how to be more responsible in my own end and more consistent with my decisions with the puck. You have to make the right reads and the right plays.
“Everyone wants to be counted on in key spots. I think the way I’ve been used shows that I do have more trust from the coaches. The only way to get responsibility is to earn it. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”