According to Larry Brooks, the Rangers have sent JT Miller home so that he can rehab his injured wrist.
Miller has been skating with the Rangers taxi squad since the Whale didn’t make the playoffs.
He has been dealing with a wrist issue since mid to late March.
THIS SECTION is all about JT Miller.
This season, JT Miller played in 26 games for the Rangers.
He recorded two goals in his second game and added in two assists in two February games. The last point Miller recorded was on 2/28.
Miller averaged 13:31 per game and played at least 9:41 in 25 of his 26 games.
In his last game, 4/1, Miller was a minus two and played a season low 7:08.
Miller had been scratched/sidelined since that game on 4/1 with a wrist injury that the team wanted treated in NY rather than Hartford.
John Tortorella said on Wednesday that sending Miller down was the right move for his development.
Tortorella said, “I couldn’t wait for his wrist to get better so I could send him down. He needs to play. I think he has a bright future but the future is not right now. I like the lineup how it is with the personnel we have. He did some good things, but you could see that more and more mistakes were coming into his game and it’s the wrong way to develop a player. He is just 20 years old.”
Miller turned 20 less than a month ago.
Tortorella added that if the team has some injuries they will ask the coaches in Hartford for the guy playing the best down there and they won’t hesitate to bring Miller back if he is that player.
THIS SECTION is all about JT Miller.
Adam Rotter: Miller just turned 20 and most prospects/players his age don’t have the chance to play in the AHL because they still have junior eligibility. Miller was brought up because he was the best option the Rangers had at that moment. He had some struggles in the defensive zone and the team wasn’t comfortable making a run to the playoffs with him in the lineup. After acquiring Ryane Clowe and Derick Brassard, the Rangers brought in some depth that could take pressure off of Miller and allow him to develop at a different pace in Hartford.
4:03PM: The Rangers have announced that Miller has been sent down.
The Whale have five games left in the regular season, all on the road, before the playoffs start. The Whale are currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 78 points. They hold a three point lead over Hershey (8th) and Norfolk (9th) but have played one more game.
3:40PM: According to the AHL Transaction wire, via Stan, the Rangers have sent JT Miller to Hartford.
Miller was sent down to Hartford last week but recalled the same day so he could stay with the team and undergo treatment on his wrist.
THIS SECTION is all about Miller and where he is at right now.
According to Pat Leonard, all Rangers except for Roman Hamrlik are on the ice at Rangers practice.
That includes JT Miller and both goalies.
Torts and Marty Biron via the Rangers instagram feed.
JT Miller has missed the Rangers last two games with a wrist issue.
This comes after Miller was actually sent down on Wednesday after four straight games of being a minus player. He was brought back up so that the Rangers doctors could keep tabs on him.
Miller has been receiving treatment on his wrist, and has been skating, but told the Daily News that he wants to make sure he takes the right track towards returning to the lineup.
He said that sitting out gives him an opportunity to watch the game from a different vantage point and take what he sees from watching and bring it on the ice.
Miller says that he tried to take some shots during the Rangers morning skate on Friday and trainer Jim Ramsay yelled at him and told him to stop.
He has not recorded a point since 2/28. Miller is averaging over 13:30 per night.
Andrew Gross tweets that Martin Biron is on the ice at the Rangers optional morning skate this morning.
Matt Gilroy and JT Miller are also on the ice at what Gross says is a “very optional” optional practice.
Andrew Gross notes that everyone but JT Miller is on the ice at Rangers practice today.
The lines, Gross says, are:
Miller was sent down and called up yesterday because the team wants him to get treatment on his wrist from the Rangers doctors.
In the NY Post, Larry Brooks writes that JT Miller’s wrist is still bothering him and that even if he was needed last night, he could not have played.
Brooks says that the Rangers kept Miller with the Ranger so he could undergo treatment on his wrist in NY instead of Hartford.
On ESPN Radio, John Tortorella spoke about how the Rangers trade today and addition of depth impacts the young players such as Chris Kreider and JT Miller.
Tortorella said that the trade gives the team some depth and, “it allows us to put our kids where they should be and have them develop the proper way and not in this mess.”
5:29PM: The team has officially sent Kreider and Fast to the Whale. Press release is below
4:51PM: Andrew Gross notes on twitter that the Rangers have said Miller won’t be in the lineup tonight.
4:25PM:According to the AHL Transaction wire, the Rangers have recalled JT Miller from Hartford.
Chris Kreider is still in Hartford.
Miller and Kreider were sent down, though not confirmed by the team, this morning.
