Miller strikes me as one of those guys that's had everyone talking up how he has "all the tools, 1st pairing upside if he just put it together" and he's gone out and tried to play like he's a top level defenseman and...he just can't. Not at this time. He's trying to skip over some of the development curve and play above his head.
I liken this to Brady Skjei...had a good first season, thought he could be Ryan McDonagh, struggled and was let go but eventually developed into a good player.
Miller needs to stop playing like he's a star and focus on nailing down his basics and go from there. I can't believe how many times I've seen him randomly wiff on a pass because he just leans back on his back foot and tries to wing it to someone and screws it up. It's like a quarterback always throwing off his back foot, you know it's bad, everyone knows it's bad, but they keep doing it.
Fix your basic shit first and then work on the super star stuff
This is spot on Lev…..
Honestly, he’s making the same mistakes/ decisions as hid did in his 2nd season….. it’s to the point now where I’d trade to trade him in a package for BT or an impact wing in that age range….
This team needs a changing of the guard to be honest but more on that later, back to miller.
He already has everything physically that should make him a good partner for Fox or any elite Norris caliber D.
Many were calling for this Duo last season, but without serious mental strides in his game in the offseason, it was obvious they wouldn’t be a good pairing. Not because he’s not physical or a bruiser, but because he’s all tools/no toolbox.
We’ve seen him do some amazing things, and for 3-5 game stretches he looks all world. Then back to the same old shit.
He can skate the puck end to end like the wind, but Foxs hockey sense compared to his isn’t in the same range.
Fox is prob having his worst overall year here to date, that’s not helping….. a testament to really how good he is tbh…
But it seems when Fox thinks he’s going to read the play, clear the puck when needed, skate it out of trouble, pick up trailing Fwd, lose his guy in front of our net, (etc many many examples)
It’s almost like Fox is thinking wait what is he doing and why???
There’s no chemistry there between the.2 when in theory there should be…….
I mean Kreider kept developing as he got old and kept getting better. Many of the same things were said about him as well. Both are physical freaks. There was a time we all remember where kreids would get 2-3 breakaways a game and he’d be lucky to finish on 1.
Thing is, kreids is the exception not the rule. The importance is also very different because of the importance of the position.
A Top 6 Wing can get away with mistakes/multiple stretches where he reverts back to average/bad and disappears.
When it’s a first pairing minute eater it a lot different.
I’m just not comfortable extending him long term here for major $$ when we already cash strapped as is..
Imo I’d trade him as a headliner in a larger package to Bring back similar aged impact player…
I like Key. Still has a lot of value. Depending on chemistry w/partner he’s still a good young 3-4 D
