Prospect Info: 2020 WJC NYR Prospect Speculation

[GoAwayPanarin]

You think Knight saw Foote's shot? He didn't even react until the puck was in the net. By the time Miller hit the ice to block the shot, it was past Knight.

There were two players on Lafreniere before Miller jumped to him as well, leaving Hayton wide open on the backside.

I hope he turns it around. We need him to turn it around. Today did not resemble a player who is near cracking the NHL.

going down to block that shot was 10000% the right move. It took a perfect shot to beat knight and that was it.

 

[Mikos87]

It is an easy play to make, but the situation--skating back towards your own net with a man in your pocket and another to your inside--is not one you encounter a whole lot. And that's the whole thing, you often see Miller make mistakes where there is a "simple" solution, but the plain lack of in-game reps cause him to panic. It's simple once you've encountered it or if you're just naturally gifted, but for guys that are learning, it's not so easy.

That's a lot of what's wrong with the defensive aspects of his game; he panics. But it's from a lack of experience, which is why I'm not particularly concerned. The only thing that he needs to worry about, I think, is that he's going to have to continue learning as he starts his pro career. He's going to be at a big disadvantage because when he gets to the AHL next year or the year after, he'll be learning while the other guys are way ahead on the development curve. It will be a matter of how quickly he can adapt.

EDIT: To add to this, what he attempted wouldn't be unusual for a forward in the offensive end. If he was skating towards the net, lobbing a saucer cross-ice wouldn't be a totally terrible play. If he was skating back to the blue line and tried that cross-ice saucer, he's at least skating back if it's picked off. In neither instance would it be a great play, but you see forwards in the NHL trying to get cute with those saucers across the ice all the damn time. Which just reinforces that his instincts often times default to what he would do as a forward.

Oh I agree. The lack of reps (and ice time) was one of my concerns. I was hoping he went the junior route to get more in-game ice time, but I see a guy who if he corrects these things, he will be a real deal number 1 defenseman.

It's decision making. He has everything else to be a great player, but it's decision making. This is where having a great defenseman as your coach helps. All of those Nashville defensemen... they had guys like Housely coach them. When Anaheim was turning out one defensemen after another.... Scott Neidermayer. IMO a guy like Brady Skjei still makes those mistakes. He didn't make them his rookie year under Beauk. But today... those poor decisions are a constant.

So I'm not worried about Key. He's got a high motor, great character, but just needs to get in the film room and watch game tape, and replicate.

Control the game. He needs to focus on controlling the game, every time he's out there. With the puck, without the puck. He has it in him. I truly believe that. It's just decision making.

 

[FireGerardGallant]

Fire Gordie Clark at this point, its undeniable

Lol holy overreaction. One turnover and Miller sucks now?

 

[Machinehead]

Not seeing enough improvement so far from Miller compared to the same tournament last year.

 

[Edge]

So are we back full circle to accepting that Miller is very much a work in progress that needs time to cook?

 

[bl02]

So are we back full circle to accepting that Miller is very much a work in progress that needs time to cook?

Nils and Miller should be given as much time to cook as necessary. From day 1 many of us have been saying it. Even if they have tremendous years (which the former seems to be having) I don't care we shouldn't want them rushed.

 

[RangersFan1994]

I bet Jones will be better than Miller in the long run. Miller will always leave you wanting more. I get that vibe Skjei 2.0

 

[JT Kreider]

Lol holy overreaction. One turnover and Miller sucks now?

It wasn't just one TO. And yes, because I think he's a Rangers prospect he tends to get overrated (it's the cool thing now to be all on board the Rangers rebuild). I couldn't believe my ears when the announce team was still talking glowingly positive about him even after that TO, despite his terrible game today.

Hate to say it but Bahl looked loads better both with and without the puck, but especially with it.

Either way my post was mostly sarcastic, but still shrouded in truth that GC needs to be fired. Even if KA blossoms into the next Slavin.

 

[JT Kreider]

I bet Jones will be better than Miller in the long run. Miller will always leave you wanting more. I get that vibe Skjei 2.0

We have been waiting for a player like Jones that can man the PP since Leetch and Zubov.

 

[eco's bones]

I definitely agree.

If you want to evaluate a player, I think it would be best to watch video of the guy playing but edit out the best and worst plays. There is far too much knee jerk reactions at this place. And I don't expect it to get better because of the Lias fiasco.

That goal for example is 100% lack of know-how driven. The top players pick off those passes. Anything within reach is picked off at the NHL level and at this level against Canada. Its not at lower levels. Miller have learned his lesson, big deal.

Miller was in a bad spot--with his back turned and being harrassed closely from behind....really his best option was to take it back into his own corner and maybe eat a hit from a player he didn't have eyes on. He tried to find his defense partner instead and his pass was picked off. Even so Lafreniere had to make a great play.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

It wasn't just one TO. And yes, because I think he's a Rangers prospect he tends to get overrated (it's the cool thing now to be all on board the Rangers rebuild). I couldn't believe my ears when the announce team was still talking glowingly positive about him even after that TO, despite his terrible game today.

Hate to say it but Bahl looked loads better both with and without the puck, but especially with it.

Either way my post was mostly sarcastic, but still shrouded in truth that GC needs to be fired. Even if KA blossoms into the next Slavin.

Islanders won the draft! Lou made Gorton look stupid!!

 

[QJL]

going down to block that shot was 10000% the right move. It took a perfect shot to beat knight and that was it.

Or course it was the right move. The problem was the puck was in the net by the time he hit the ice and Knight never saw the shot because of his poor reaction time avoiding the screen.

 

[JT Kreider]

Islanders won the draft! Lou made Gorton look stupid!!

Lol I wonder Lou's teams records are the last (edit: 4 years, excluding his first in TO) between the Leafs and Islanders. Probably the most wins of any GM over that period.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Lol I wonder Lou's teams records are the last 5 years between the Leafs and Islanders. Probably the most wins of any GM over that period.

I doubt that very much

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Or course it was the right move. The problem was the puck was in the net by the time he hit the ice and Knight never saw the shot because of his poor reaction time avoiding the screen.

lol if you think knight was stopping that shot with out the screen.

 

[QJL]

lol if you think knight was stopping that shot with out the screen.

Knight with a clear look stops that puck 9 out of 10 times. Not arguing this anymore. Miller had a brutal game and misplayed 3 of Canada’s goals. I hope we see better.

 

[LokiDog]

I think the takeaway here is let’s stop penciling Miller in as the heir apparent that fixes our left side any time soon. He may get there someday but if we want to transition into a team with hopes of contending starting in the next two years we’re going to need to add a top 3 caliber lefty and it’s not going to be an internal solution.

 

[ohbaby]

Andrei Svechnikov has done it twice this season so far

I'm surprised it hasn't been used more often. I have seen the kids do this for years in the lower ranks but never in the NHL til now. And it seems it is a first,... this year in the NHL. Won't be long before they use the lacrosse style in front of the net also. What's to stop them. Especially in shootouts.

Edit:... Saw highlights of many players trying this move many times before in NHL games. But Svechnikov this year, was the first to score with it.

 

[chosen]

Eh. Watching the replay of the Lafreniere goal, I don't think the Miller turnover was THAT horrendous.

It wasn't good, but wasn't horrible.

Live and learn.

Miller might become an all-star, but why can't we admit that that pass was pure horrendous?

 

[The S5]

Not looking to write Miller off based on one terrible game, but that last pass was very concerning. It tells me that the kid isn't very confident with his skating and decision making. The obvious play is to turn that to the wall. It's something that should come automatically to a guy playing at this level, whether he is new at the position (he isn't new any longer) or not.
I just don't see this kid breaking in to the NHL over the next couple of years. He really has a long way to go to come close to what many here are hoping he becomes.
On a positive note, I thought Jones looked great.

 

[Trxjw]

4 out of 5 times that play ends up as nothing more than a death stare from the coach when Miller gets back to the bench. Lafreniere made an incredible play and capitalized on a bad decision.

Hopefully what this shows people is that even though Miller has tremendous tools and a very high ceiling, he's still very much a work in progress. He's a converted forward that likes to make high-risk plays. Those plays are part of what makes him so dynamic in the offensive zone, but he has to learn to play with some restraint in his own end. He also needs to do a better job of identifying who is on the ice against him at any given point.

Does he have top-pairing potential? Absolutely, but he's at least 3 years away from regular NHL minutes, IMO. Stop smashing the panic button every time a prospect does something bad.

 

[nyr2k2]

I remember playing club soccer growing up, I was the keeper. If we had a game where we were in control, they'd let me play forward. I had decent ball skills, a good shot, and better field vision than most players (you develop it watching from your goal box so often). Sometimes I made nice plays, scored a few goals. Lots of times I found myself in a position where I had literally no idea what do. Simple play was to just drop it down the line where I had a guy making a run, but it was so unfamiliar and I'd panic and just try to kick it at someone's shins and win a throw, or worse--I'd try to put a ball into the middle of the field, which generally ended horribly.

Miller is going through the same thing. He still just needs the reps. The in-game experiences. He's a smart kid and can learn and figure it all out, he just needs time.

 

[redwhiteandblue]

So are we back full circle to accepting that Miller is very much a work in progress that needs time to cook?

Have to let these things take their natural HF progression.

 

[ArPanet]

I'm interested to see what kind of ice time he gets today.

 

[Fitzy]

Hoping to see a lot of Zac Jones on the PP today versus Germany.

Miller was always a long play. He was picked for his tremendous upside and NYR need to be patient. He was never going to be an NHL player at 20-21.