Andrew Miller
| Birthday: 1988-09-18 | Position: C |
| Eligible for draft: 2007 | Shoots: Left |
| Drafted: | Height: 5-9 |
| Acquired: Free agent signing, 2013 | Weight: 175 lbs. |
Probability of Success
- C
History
2006-07: Andrew Miller was named “Mr. Hockey” in Michigan after leading Cranbrook Kingswood School to its second consecutive state title. He scored 37 goals with 45 assists as a senior. Miller committed to playing college hockey at Yale in 2009-10.
2007-08: Miller played for the USHL’s Chicago Steel. He scored 14 goals with 27 assists and was +7 with 28 penalty minutes. The Steel finished fourth in the East Conference and defeated first place Indiana in a first round series before falling to Clark Cup champion Waterloo. Miller scored 2 goals with 4 assists and 4 penalty minutes in seven playoff games.
2008-09: Miller was the leading scorer for Chicago in his second USHL season. He scored 32 goals with 50 assists in 58 games and was +7 with 76 penalty minutes. The Steel missed the playoffs after finishing fifth in the East Conference.
2009-10: Miller played in all 34 games for Yale as a freshman. Skating on the top two lines for the Bulldogs, he scored 5 goals and shared the team lead with 29 assists, and was +16 with 12 penalty minutes. Yale finished first in ECAC Hockey and received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament after an upset loss to Brown in the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals. The Bulldogs defeated North Dakota, 3-2, before falling to eventual national champion Boston College in a wild 9-7 game in the Northeast Regional final.
2010-11: Miller was the second-leading scorer for Yale as a sophomore behind former Chicago Steel teammate Brian O’Neill. He scored 12 goals with a team-high 33 assists in 36 games and was +27 with 18 penalty minutes. Yale finished second in ECAC Hockey and recorded three straight shutouts in the final three games of the league tournament to capture the championship. The Bulldogs defeated Air Force before falling to eventual national champion Minnesota-Duluth in the East Regional final, 5-3.
2011-12: Miller skated in 34 games for Yale as a junior and was once again the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer behind O’Neill. He scored 7 goals and led the Bulldogs with 29 assists; finishing +4 with 8 penalty minutes. The Bulldogs tied Clarkson for sixth in ECAC Hockey and lost to Harvard in a three-game ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series.
2012-13: Miller led Yale in scoring in his senior season as the Bulldogs won the first national title in school history. Yale finished third in ECAC Hockey and received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament despite back-to-back shutout losses in the ECAC Hockey semifinals and third place game. The Bulldogs swept WCHA opponents Minnesota and North Dakota in the West Regional. Miller scored the game-winning goal in overtime in Yale’s 3-2 win over Massachusetts-Lowell in the Frozen Four semifinal game and Yale shutout ECAC Hockey regular season champion Quinnipiac, 4-0, in the Frozen Four final. Miller signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Oilers in April, 2013.
2013-14: Miller made his pro debut with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons, joining former Yale teammate Mark Arcobello. He scored 8 goals with 26 assists in 52 games and was +3 with 14 penalty minutes. The Barons finished third in the West Division and were swept by Texas in a first-round playoff series. Miller had no points with 4 penalty minutes and an even plus/minus in three playoff games. He was tendered a qualifying offer by the Oilers and signed a one-year contract as a restricted free agent in July 2014.
2014-15: Miller made his NHL debut with Edmonton in a March 18th game against Columbus and skated in nine games with the Oilers. He was the leading scorer for the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons in his second pro season. Miller was -1 with no points nor penalties, averaging nine minutes of ice time with Edmonton. He scored 27 goals with 33 assists and was +11 with 16 penalty minutes in 63 AHL regular season games. The Barons finished third in the West Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Miller scored 3 goals with 3 assists and was -4 with 8 penalty minutes in 10 playoff games. Miller was re-signed to a one-year contract by the Oilers in June 2015.
Talent Analysis
Miller is a smallish forward who brings a big presence to the ice with his assertive playing style and outstanding hockey sense. He is tough to catch and when opponents do, pushing him off the puck is a whole new problem. He sees the ice well and has outstanding puck movement. Miller makes the most of his size and is physical, but smart and sees the ice well. Although he is not the big body that the Oilers are looking to add to their front end, he is a great all-around player who has put up points consistently in the AHL.
Future
Miller skated in six early season games with the Oilers in 2015-16 before being assigned to new AHL affiliate Bakersfield. Now in his third season with the Edmonton organization, Miller is a top-six forward and a consistent scorer at the AHL level but has yet to have that type of impact in the NHL. His lack of stature is a challenge but Miller could be a Stephen Gionta-type forward for a team in need of forwards.
