Colin Miller carries the puck in the defensive zone. Photo credit: Anthony Gruppuso, USA TODAY Sports.
For those who don't know, Colin Miller is a 23-year-old, right-shooting defenceman with two goals and 15 points in 37 NHL games. Signed in the offseason after a career year with the Los Angeles Kings' former affiliate in Manchester, Miller made the team out of training camp and has since been a valuable part of the Bruins' defence, playing everywhere from the first pairing with Zdeno Chara to the bottom pairing.
Now, take a look at this WARRIOR chart comparing Colin Miller and Drew Doughty:
Now, take a look at this WARRIOR chart comparing Colin Miller and Drew Doughty:
The performances of Colin Miller and Drew Doughty are shockingly similar. Miller is on the same level as Doughty in Goals/60, Primary Points/60, CF60 RelTM, CA60 RelTM, and CD60 RelTM. That is, quite frankly, amazing. The only area where Miller lags behind significantly is ice time.
If you're not convinced as to just how amazing this is, consider the environment both players are performing in. Drew Doughty is a superstar player who plays 27 minutes per game and has never been a healthy scratch this season. Not only that, he is surrounded by drivers of possession, as evidenced by his 55.1 TMCF% over the past three years, 4th in the league.
Colin Miller is being used as a bottom-pairing player with a wide variety of teammates, whose abilities range from decent to dismal. His TMCF% is 50% even.
I'm not suggesting that Colin Miller is the next Drew Doughty, but his level of play is close enough to players of Doughty's ilk that you have to wonder why Colin Miller isn't playing very often.
Regarding the Bruins defence, Ty Anderson writes that "Although you've liked the in-season strides made by a Colin Miller, Joe Morrow, Zach Trotman, none of them appear to be the heir apparent to Zdeno Chara." And while Anderson may be right, my opinion is that Colin Miller could be the heir apparent to Chara. All we can do is wait and see.
If you're not convinced as to just how amazing this is, consider the environment both players are performing in. Drew Doughty is a superstar player who plays 27 minutes per game and has never been a healthy scratch this season. Not only that, he is surrounded by drivers of possession, as evidenced by his 55.1 TMCF% over the past three years, 4th in the league.
Colin Miller is being used as a bottom-pairing player with a wide variety of teammates, whose abilities range from decent to dismal. His TMCF% is 50% even.
I'm not suggesting that Colin Miller is the next Drew Doughty, but his level of play is close enough to players of Doughty's ilk that you have to wonder why Colin Miller isn't playing very often.
Regarding the Bruins defence, Ty Anderson writes that "Although you've liked the in-season strides made by a Colin Miller, Joe Morrow, Zach Trotman, none of them appear to be the heir apparent to Zdeno Chara." And while Anderson may be right, my opinion is that Colin Miller could be the heir apparent to Chara. All we can do is wait and see.