The bully can bounce back on Broadway.
Last season was not the JT Miller anyone expected. 53 points in 68 games is a respectable NHL season for most players. For a centre carrying an $8 million cap hit who had put up over 80 points in three straight seasons with Vancouver, it was a disappointment.
The good news? A lot of what went wrong is fixable. And in 2026–27, the circumstances around Miller have shifted meaningfully in his favour.
Two things derailed Miller’s season and neither of them was a sudden loss of skill. First, a lower body injury helped him get off to a slow start at the beginning of the season. Then he missed aditional time with upper/lower-body injuries in November / December which cost him a number of games, disrupting his rhythm at a critical time. Second, with Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad both on the roster, Miller spent significant stretches playing on the wing rather than at centre, his natural position, where he is demonstrably more effective. His shooting percentage also came in at 11.8%, on the low end of his career norms. A positive adjustment on that number alone pushes his goal total higher next season without any other changes.
The Trocheck situation has been resolved. With Trocheck now in Utah following an offseason trade, Miller returns to full-time centre for the first time since arriving in New York. That is a significant role upgrade that restores him to the position where he has done his best offensive work throughout his career.
The supporting cast also matters here. If Pavel Dorofeyev or Oliver Bjorkstrand slides in alongside Miller as a top-six winger, he benefits immediately. Both are legitimate offensive players who can finish.
At 33, Miller is not going to post 103 points again. But a healthy season in a full centre role, with improved linemates and a shooting percentage that normalises, makes 61 to 71 points a realistic and well-supported target.
The Fantasy Projection
Projection Tier: 60–69 PTS
Expected Range: 63–71 PTS
Floor: 59 PTS
Ceiling: 75 PTS
Fantasy Risk Rating: Moderate
The moderate risk rating is earned honestly. Miller’s injury history has become a consideration over the past two seasons, and at 33 the durability question is worth acknowledging. His role, however, is as secure as it has been since he arrived on Broadway. Full-time centre, top-six deployment, and power-play time.
He will not be a first-round fantasy pick. He should not be. But in the third or fourth round of most standard leagues, a healthy JT Miller in a full centre role at this point total is excellent value…and the downside is already priced into most ADP projections given last season’s numbers.
If he stays healthy, the bounce-back is coming.
— The Add List +