Make or Break Time for J.T. Miller?

#493840147 / gettyimages.com

I found this article on T.J. Miller to be interesting, maybe because he was committed to UND for a minute, before he bolted for the greener pastures of the OHL. I still think college hockey would have done this kid some good.

SNYRangers.com -- Jeff Gorton says that the Rangers organization has “made it clear” to JT Miller what kind of opportunity he has in front of him this season. (Tal Pinchevsky)

Glen Sather said at the draft that they expect Miller to “come to play” this year. Sather said that Miller is “young, fits into the price range and will develop into a very good hockey player.” He adds that Miller showed a lot of growth this past season.

It’s been said before that the Rangers are counting on Miller to take a step this coming season.

Miller is “more than ready” to be an NHLer and should be able to beat out Chris Bourque or Chris Mueller for a roster spot. (The Hockey News)

JT Miller Bolts for OHL

Image via WikipediaUND Incoming Recruit, or former incoming recruit, apparently will not play for UND in the fall and instead bolt for the OHL Plymouth Whalers. The report was confirmed by Guy Flaming of the Pipeline Show. Here's his article:

The Pipeline Show has now confirmed with the player himself that New York Rangers prospect J. T. Miller is indeed detouring away from his NCAA commitment to North Dakota and will instead play for the Plymouth Whalers in the OHL.

Miller will be a guest on TPS this Saturday to discuss in more detail.

The Ohio product was chosen 15th overall by the New York Rangers last month at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in Minnesota. His first appearance on The Pipeline Show was back in April and he confirmed to us back then that he would officially decide after the draft where he would play next year.

This is obviously a blow to the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota who have lost 6 of their top 7 scorers from last year to graduation or to pro hockey (Jason Gregoire).

I can say that this isn't much of a surprise. I had a feeling he'd end up in Plymouth. What was disappointing was that it comes before his freshman year rather than after it. I felt that he'd bolt before his sophomore season, but would play one season in Grand Forks first.

I'm wondering if this isn't another Trevor Lewis type deal. IIRC, Trevor Lewis committed to the University of Michigan and then signed a pro contract with the LA Kings who assigned him to the Owen Sound Attack (OHL). It gets Miller past his rookie contract quicker, sure, but it will pressure him to develop faster as well. Though this isn't impossible and Miller could very well be up to it (Lewis just completed his first full season with LA this year and did ok), it does put a bit higher pressure on Miller.

Oh well, I guess. Tough blow for UND. Wish Miller the best. I wonder if this news makes the Cichy transfer more painful? Probably not with the fans. I got the feeling that many commentors didn't much care for Cichy.

Related articles

• Rangers snag American-born center at No. 15 (nypost.com)

Redwing77's Draft Roundup and perhaps other stuff

UND's Draftees:

JT Miller - 1st Round (15th Overall) - NY Rangers
Rocco Grimaldi - 2nd Round (33rd Overall) - Florida Panthers
Dillon Simpson - 4th Round (92nd Overall) - Edmonton Oilers

Not Drafted but Eligible:
Colton St. Clair

WCHA Draft Standings:

Minnesota - 5
UW - 4
DU - 4
UND - 3
UNO - 3
CC - 1
MTU -1

Draft Grades:

It's hard not to give Minnesota, UW, and DU high marks on the draft. They beat the field with numbers. Minnesota leads all NCAA schools with 5. UW and DU are tied with Miami and, incredibly, Harvard for second most.

Most of the drafted players in this year's NCAA crop were drafted in the 5th to 7th rounds, though it is only a slight majority. 28 NCAA players went in rounds 1-4 while 33 went in the 5th to 7th Rounds. The school that got the most top 3 round draft picks is Miami, with 3 of their 4 drafted players going in these rounds (2 were first rounders).

Overall, 75% of UND's draft eligible players (not counting the overagers, of which UND has 3) got drafted and all of them before the 5th round. Not bad. I thought Simpson would have gone higher, though. Perhaps Anaheim or even Winnipeg would've used their 3rd round picks on Dillon.

In any case, Colton St. Clair had a disappointing weekend, but that's alright. I hope he uses it as incentive to work hard. I'm sure he'll get invited to a prospect camp somewhere, maybe Winnipeg or Minnesota would give a regional player a look-see.

Miller's Status

It's widely published that JT Miller hasn't cast aside the Major Junior route (Plymouth of the OHL owns his rights). I would say there is a higher than average chance that Miller reports. The chance would be higher if the trifecta of evil (Moncton of the QMJHL, Red Deer of the WHL, or London of the OHL) owned Miller's rights. It's hard to say what Rangers GM Glen Sather will want JT to do. I don't know which camp he sits in, be it Pro-NCAA (such as Lamoriello of the Devils) or Pro-MJ (Yzerman of TB Lightning... or if any of the Sutters are still GMing), but here's my prediction:

I predict Miller attends UND in the fall. After his freshman season, however, all bets are off. He has stated that he wants to give UND a shot for a year and reevaluate after his freshman season. Because of the financial freedom the OHL has over the NCAA, it's going to be hard to ignore. We're just lucky Miller's rights aren't owned by a more aggressive OHL team.