Rangers agree to a deal with forward JT Miller

The Rangers agreed to terms Wednesday with restricted free agent J.T. Miller, the team announced, avoiding arbitration. With the extra playing time, Miller totaled 22 goals and 21 assists which were both easily career-highs. “Miller, who was 22 years old at the time, became the first Ranger 22 years old or younger to register eight goals in an eight-game span since Alexei Kovalev during the 1993-94 season”.

Resigning Miller was something the Rangers absolutely had to do based on the way he played this year.

This will be the season for the coach to declare the 15th-overall selection of the 2009 entry draft as a no-doubt top-six winger entering the season. It was very obvious that Alain Vigneault grew to trust Miller a lot more in key moments than he had in the past. Previously inking a one-year qualifying offer in June 2015, Miller encountered a breakout campaign last season while expecting to be rewarded for his efforts. Ahead of the scheduled hearing, the Rangers and the now veteran forward have reportedly settled with a two-year contract.

Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes and Dylan McIlrath are the Rangers’ remaining restricted free agents. Seeing that Miller’s hearing was originally scheduled for August 2, it is likely that no player will actually have to sit for an arbitration hearing. The Rangers can cross the long-term contract bridge when they come to it. As long as he continues building on his success a year ago, he’ll fetch far more than $2.6 million on the open market in 2018.