When the New York Rangers named J.T. Miller captain, it felt like the final step in a long, winding arc coming full circle. The kid who once struggled with consistency in New York had returned as a finished product: a battle-tested veteran, point-producer, and emotional tone-setter. But the storybook narrative has hit a snag. The preseason injury he suffered — the one that was initially brushed off as “day-to-day” — now feels like the quiet undercurrent of his entire season.
From the moment the puck dropped on opening night, the signs were there if you looked closely.