New Jersey Devils player profile: Colin Miller

Miller is coming off a very strong season in a sheltered 3rd pairing role. Can he replicate it in New Jersey?

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The New Jersey Devils have only added two NHL players to their roster this off-season, both by way of trade.

I already profiled the most notable acquisition, Tyler Toffoli. Today I’m going to do the same with right-handed defenseman Colin Miller.

Let’s take a closer look at his 2022-23 campaign and what’s to come in his debut season with the Devils.

Counting stats: 79 games played, 21 points (six goals, 15 assists), 16:46 average time on ice

5v5 underlyings: 0.87 points/60, +2.86 CF% Rel, +10.19 GF% Rel, +0.67 xGF% Rel

2022-23 review: Miller is coming off a very impressive season with the Dallas Stars. He played a 3rd pairing role for them, logging just under 17 minutes per night while spending most of his shifts against mid-to-low tier competition – and he absolutely crushed it.

The Stars scored more goals per minute with Miller on the ice than any other defenseman on the team. The Stars also conceded fewer goals per minute with Miller on the ice than any other defenseman on the team.

He posted a remarkable +23 goal differential at 5v5 while garnering strong underlying numbers. He was a positive in helping the Stars control the run of play, whether you use shot attempts, expected goals or scoring chances. Whatever the gauge, Miller looks good.

Miller finished with a GAR of +11.2, which was good for 31st among all blueliners. That’s not to say Miller is anywhere close to a top-30 defensemen in the league – but his grade in that metric helps illustrate just how effective Miller was in the role he was given.

He wasn’t a guy who was very good at one end and a complete disaster at the other. At even-strength Miller’s offense was worth +4.9 GAR and his defense +3.5.

As far as I can tell, Miller is the only defensemen in the league who finished with a GAR of +3.5 or higher at both ends who switched teams this off-season.