This Player Could Make Or Break The NY Rangers’ Season

The New York Rangers are going to need a big season from this player.

Oct 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Utah Mammoth defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (52) defends against New York Rangers center J.T. Miller (10) during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers are looking to have a bounce-back season after a rough 2025-26 season in which they went 34-39-9 with 77 points and finished in last place in the Metropolitan Division.

With the start of the new NHL season, several players are viewed as X-factors for their respective teams.

Harman Dayal of The Athletic (subscription required) selected seven NHL players that he believes could make or break their teams' season. One of those players was Rangers’ center J.T. Miller.

New York’s President and General Manager Chris Drury made a plethora of moves during the offseason to improve the roster. Despite this, Dayal believes that Miller, a returning veteran player, will need to step up and contribute more in order for the Rangers to find sustainable success this season.

J.T. Miller is key to Rangers succeeding on ice

Oct 6, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (40) defends against a shot on goal from New York Rangers center J.T. Miller (10) in the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Miller, 33, underperformed for New York last season. It was his first full season back with the Rangers since his return, but he was limited to 68 games due to injury. He totaled 53 points on 17 goals and 36 assists last season.

Not only did he produce just 1.58 points per 60 at five-on-five, but his defense wasn’t up to par, as New York was outscored by 15 goals during five-on-five shifts where Miller was present.

His best season was not too long ago with the Vancouver Canucks in 2023-24, when he collected a career-high 103 points with a career-high 37 goals and 66 assists. Miller has the potential to perform at this level, and it will be crucial for the Rangers to get a similar version from Miller in 2026-27.

Especially with the loss of Vincent Trocheck, New York is going to need Miller to step up and perform like a top-six center if they want to have more success this season.

Additionally, the Rangers acquired Pavel Dorofeyev over the summer, which makes it even more important that Miller can live up to expectations this season and put up numbers as he did a few years ago with the Canucks.

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Dorofeyev’s performance and success are going to rely on Miller, as New York is going to need the veteran center to succeed in his role as playmaker and create chances for Dorofeyev.

Miller’s role with the Rangers is going to ensure that Dorofeyev gets the most opportunities to score, as it’ll be essential for him to be at the top of his game to make sure this happens. For example, Miller is a key reason why Brock Boeser scored 40 goals during the 2023-24 season.

According to Dayal, New York is going to need “the Miller that moves his feet, never takes shifts off and can contribute more offensively at even strength.”

In order for Miller to accomplish what is expected of him, he is going to need to stay healthy, which will likely be the biggest factor in the Rangers getting the best version of him this season. His impact on Dorofeyev makes him even more important, as it’s safe to say New York’s success relies on Miller even more.