NY Rangers Desperately Need Key Player to be Better

Apr 15, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) (center) reacts with left wing Alexis Lafrenière (13) (left) and center J.T. Miller (8) (right) after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NY Rangers Desperately Need Key Player to be Better

Originally posted on New York Rangers On SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Aug 18, 2026 5:00 PM ET

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With training camp right around the corner for the New York Rangers, the team will be hoping to put last year behind them and be a much better group this coming season.

During the summer, the Rangers were one of the more aggressive teams in the league in terms of trying to improve. New York had no shortage of holes to fill, but the team addressed a lot of them.

Up front, the team was able to add Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand to their forward group. While Dorofeyev will certainly be a top-six player for the team as arguably the best scorer for the team, Bjorkstrand could also be a really solid contributor with the potential of scoring 20 goals.

Furthermore, the second-pairing of the blueline was also an area that was greatly improved. The additions of Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi have made the second-pair much better than last year, and the blueline is shaping up to be a strength of the team.

However, while the team is better on paper than last year, they do have some players that they will need to see more from.

While things are looking much better for the Rangers, one player that they need to perform better than last year is J.T. Miller.

New York Needs Miller to Bounce Back

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As the Rangers prepare for the upcoming season, one of their most important players is going to be their captain. In his first full year back with New York after they traded for him the season prior, Miller did not perform anywhere near where expectations for him were.

Last year, he totaled 53 points on 17 goals and 36 assists in 67 games played. However, the -30 +/- was very alarming. At 33 years old, there will be some concern about the poor year being some age-related regression. However, the year before he was able to total 70 points in 72 games, and that is the type of player the Rangers need him to be.

Furthermore, with New York trading away Vincent Trocheck, the second-line center spot is going to be, without a doubt, Miller’s spot. Who will be alongside him will be interesting to see, and it could end up being the new pieces in Dorofeyev and Bjorkstrand.

Overall, with Miller being one of the highest paid players on the team, the Rangers need him to be one of their best. If he struggles like he did last season, the team could be in some trouble.

This article first appeared on New York Rangers On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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