Does Rangers’ J.T. Miller belong on NHL Network ‘Top 20 Centers Right Now’ list?
It appears that the fallout from one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise continues to follow the New York Rangers.
For the second time in the past week, the Rangers could cry foul over NHL Network’s annual positional rankings. First it was Adam Fox, who was buried far too low on the Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list. This week, it’s the complete absence of any Rangers player on the Top 20 Centers Right Now list.
If Igor Shesterkin fails to rank properly in the ranking of top goalies next week, then we’ll really know how low the Rangers standing is with hockey analysts and experts at the network.
It’s hard to quibble with Mika Zibanejad failing to make the centers list this season. A year ago, Zibanejad ranked No. 19 among top centers by NHL Network. But the 32-year-old clearly played his way out of the top 20.
Vincent Trocheck is a very good two-way center. But he didn’t crack the Top 20 list a year ago after a career-best 2023-24. And there was no way he was in serious contention for a Top 20 spot this summer.
But then there’s J.T. Miller. Coming off a 103-point campaign in 2023-24, Miller was No. 11 on the Top 20 list last year. Yes, he dropped to 70 points this past season, one that started slowly with the Vancouver Canucks (35 points in 40 games) before a trade to the Rangers saw him finish strong (35 points in 32 games). But are there at least 20 other NHL centers entering this season you’d rather have than Miller?
Debatable, for sure.
J.T. Miller makes case with Rangers
There’s no arguing last season was an up-and-down one for Miller. His poor relationship with Elias Pettersson in Vancouver went public and helped submarine the Canucks season. He took a 10-game leave of absence amid tension between the star centers. Miller’s play fell off and the overall situation was toxic. He must accept part of the responsibility for that.
The Canucks decided to keep Pettersson, the younger and more expensive center, who, by the way, also failed to make the NHL Network list this season. Miller was traded to the Rangers on Jan. 31. It was back in New York that Miller proved why he remains an elite center in the NHL.
In 32 games with the Rangers, Miller recorded 13 goals and 22 assists, trailing only Artemi Panarin in scoring during that stretch. His presence also helped unlock Zibanejad on the wing — a combination the Rangers likely will keep intact come opening night this season.
Miller not only produced offensively, he played his typically effective gritty, hard-nosed style of hockey. He contributed on the power play and penalty kill, and won 58 percent of his face-offs. Unlike his final days in Vancouver, Miller looked like Miller again in New York.
At age 32, Miller proved he’s still got it. And his all-around game is what makes him so appealing, and worthy of a top-20 spot in the NHL Network ranking.
Comparing J.T. Miller with centers ranked above him
#20 — Sam Bennett
Sam Bennet being ranked No. 20 feels as disrespectful as Miller being left off. Bennett just came off a Conn Smythe Trophy run and his intangibles are just as important as his production. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are where legacies are built, and Bennett stepped up to the challenge again.
#19 — Macklin Celebrini
Celebrini’s rookie season was super impressive — 25 goals and 63 points in 70 games, and third in Calder Trophy voting. The 2024 No. 1 overall pick looks like a future franchise cornerstone in San Jose. But one season isn’t enough to rank him as a top-20 center right now. Miller, comparatively, has multiple 70+ point seasons and a 103-point campaign just a year prior. Even in a season split between two franchises, he matched Celebrini’s scoring pace with driving play at 5v5, winning more than half of his face-offs, and adding the grit Celebrini hasn’t picked up yet. Celebrini might the future — but Miller is the present.
#18 — Tage Thompson
Tage Thompson’s size (6-foot-6, 220 pounds) and shot make him a dangerous scorer, and his 44 goals last season were proof of that. But when you stack him up against Miller, the gap isn’t as wide as the rankings suggest. Miller’s 70 points in 72 games compared favorably to Thompson’s 72 in 76. Miller led all Rangers with 2.68 points per 60, while Thompson’s production leaned heavily an inflated 18.2 percent shooting percentage. Thompson is a great sniper, but Miller impacts his team in more ways on both sides of the puck and gives them a higher floor every night.
But where Miller really separated himself from Thompson is inside the face-off circle. Miller won nearly 58 percent of his draws while Thompson sat at 42.8 percent, a gaping difference for such a key metric. But NHL Network clearly preferred Thompson’s goal-scoring exploits over Miller’s superior all-around game.
#17 — Roope Hintz
Last season, on a loaded Dallas Stars roster, Roope Hintz recorded 67 points in 76 games — solid, but short of Miller’s 70. Like Miller, Hintz is a 200-foot player, with intangibles being a big part of his appeal. Miller’s been the superior offensive player in his career, though, and is a more consistent physical presence. It feels like he should be ahead of Hintz on this list.
#16 — Tim Stutzle
Along with Bennet, this is one of the players listed in the teens that feels under-ranked. Stutzle has now stacked three straight 70+ point seasons, totaling 239 points over that span — and he’s only 23 years old. His speed, playmaking, and ability to control the Ottawa Senator’s offense makes him one of the most exciting young centers in the game. Unlike some others on this list, you can argue Stutzle belongs ahead of Miller and closer to the top 10.
#15 — Dylan Larkin
For years, Dylan Larkin has been the face of the Detroit Red Wings, but his production hasn’t fully lived up to that. In nine NHL seasons, he’s topped 70+ points just once. The rest of his career has hovered in the 61-70 point range. Compare that to Miller, who has coasted above the 70+ point mark three different times, including a 99-point campaign and the aforementioned 103-point season. Larkin may be Detroit’s top option by default, but Miller has consistently produced like a true No. 1 center.
Despite a somewhat rocky 2024-25 season, it feels like Miller should still land somewhere in the 15-20 range among top centers in the NHL.
Rankings like these are always going to stir debate, and bias inevitably steps in. And the end of the day, though, preseason lists don’t mean anything beyond fueling conversations like this. Some will argue Miller belongs ahead of players ranked here, others will disagree — and both are fair. What matters most is what happens once the puck drops. If Miller delivers the way he’s capable of, he won’t need a preseason ranking to prove where he stands among the League’s best centers.
