Boston Bruins: Can Colin Miller make the team
The biggest problem the Boston Bruins have going into the 2015-16 season is their blueline. Over the last few years, the Bruins have had a strong defensive core. That core made life easier for both head coach Cluade Julien and goaltender Tuukka Rask. This year, the blue line is in flux. The Bruins have only four returning full-time defensemen, and three of them are coming off of serious injuries.
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That’s part of the reason why Don Sweeney surprised a lot of fans at the draft. He traded Milan Lucic for a package deal with the Los Angeles Kings. Kings defenseman Colin Miller was part of that package deal.
Miller is regarded as one of the best defensemen currently playing in the AHL. The 22-year old blueliner put up a solid season last year for the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs. He had a fifty-two point(nineteen goals)season last year. At last year’s AHL All-Star game, Miller won both the fastest shot and fastest skater competitions. Analysts believed that Miller was ready to make the transition to the NHL, and it looks like the Bruins front office agree.
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“I think Colin is ready to push for a spot,” said Bruins general manager Don Sweeney of Miller. “I put him in the same category as some of these other players like Joe [Morrow] and Zach [Trotman], who had a good taste [of the NHL]. He did have a breakout year. His game was really loose, he had offensive instincts, he’s got a good shot from the offensive blueline.
“There’s some structure in Colin’s game now that goes along with those offensive instincts. [He] is willing to transition pucks, and he is a guy that we identified as a group that has sort of emerged — and hopefully will come in and challenge — because he’s got a lot of upside.”
There is a lot to like in Miller. He’s an offensive-minded defenseman. With the loss of Dougie Hamilton, the Bruins will need a blueliner who is comfortable in transition or being part of an odd man rush. At the moment, the only blueliner that is comfortable with that (and has the speed to do it) is Torey Krug.
The only question mark in Miller’s game is how he can perform in a defensive-minded system. As Miller will be playing for Claude Julien, we’ll soon see how he responds to that kind of system. If Miller can play Claude’s style of hockey than his chances certainly improve.
It’s not a lock for Miller. He will be competing against Joe Morrow and Zach Trotman for a slot on the roster. Two weeks ago, I mentioned that Miller’s greatest enemy would be his contract. Miller has a two-way deal, and wouldn’t be a waiver target next season. While the Bruins certainly can use his talents, the Bruins may put him on Providence on opening night in order to use players that will need to play in Boston or be waived.