Colin Miller

History

2009-10: Colin Miller played for the Soo Thunderbirds junior A team in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. In 46 games he scored 7 goals with 23 assists and 38 penalty minutes. After finishing first in the West Division, the Thunderbirds reached the playoff finals against Abitibi. In 14 playoff games Miller scored 5 goals with 9 assists and had 14 penalty minutes.

2010-11: Miller skated in 66 games for the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds after attending the team’s training camp as a free agent .  Playing on a Greyhounds squad that finished last in the West Division and had the OHL’s third worst record, Miller was a respectable plus-two and scored 3 goals with 19 assists and had 44 penalty minutes. He was ranked 148th amongst North American skaters by Central Scouting prior to the 2011 NHL Draft  but was not selected.

2011-12: Miller attended camp with the Los Angeles Kings before returning to Sault Ste. Marie for his second season. He skated in 54 of 68 games for the Greyhounds – missing time in February after suffering a concussion – and scored was plus-nine with 8 goals 20 assists and 79 penalty minutes. Sault Ste. Marie came up just short in its push for a playoff spot despite finishing eight points better than the previous season. In his second year of eligibility Miller was selected by Los Angeles in the fifth round (151st overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.

2011-12: Miller attended camp with the Los Angeles Kings before returning to Sault Ste. Marie for his second season. He skated in 54 of 68 games for the Greyhounds – missing time in February after suffering a concussion – and was plus-nine with 8 goals, 20 assists and 79 penalty minutes. Sault Ste. Marie came up just short in its push for a playoff spot despite finishing eight points better than the previous season. In his second year of eligibility Miller was selected by Los Angeles in the fifth round (151st overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.

2012-13: Miller was the fourth-leading scorer amongst OHL defensemen; playing for Sault Ste. Marie as an overage 20-year-old in his third season. He scored 20 goals with 35 assists and was +13 with 78 penalty minutes. Eight of his 20 goals came on the power play. The Greyhounds reached the OHL playoffs after finishing second in the West Division. Miller was -1 and scored 1 goal with 6 assists in the six-game series with Owen Sound. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Kings in July, 2013.

2013-14: Miller skated in 65 games for Los Angeles AHL affiliate Manchester in his first pro season. He scored 5 goals with 12 assists and was +5 with 35 penalty minutes. The Monarchs finished first in the Atlantic Division but were defeated by Norfolk in four games in a best-of-five first round playoff series. Miller played in three of four playoff games and was -2 with no points and 6 penalty minutes. 

2014-15: Miller spent his second season with Kings’ AHL affiliate Manchester and was among the league’s biggest surprises. After steadily working his way into the lineup as a rookie, he was the Monarchs’ third-leading scorer and top offensive defenseman. Miller scored 19 goals with 22 assists and was +11 with 82 penalty minutes in 70 regular season games. The Monarchs finished first in the Atlantic Division and defeated Utica in the Calder Cup Finals. Miller scored 2 goals with 8 assists and was +12 with 12 penalty minutes in 19 playoff games. In June 2015 he was one of the players acquired by the Bruins from Los Angeles as part of the Milan Lucic trade. 

Talent Analysis

Miller was drafted as a long-term project when the Kings selected him as a 19-year old in his second year of draft eligibility in 2012. The progress he has made since then is noteworthy. A bit undersized but with some elements of offense and pugnaciousness at the time, he spent an overage season in the OHL before beginning his pro career in 2013-14. Coming of age with Kings' affiliate Manchester during their Calder Cup season a year later, Miller has some offensive ability from the blue line with a physical edge. Positionally, his defensive game is still erratic at times but his lapses have become less common.

Future

Miller made the Boston Bruins out of training camp — spending most of the 2015-16 season in the NHL before being assigned to the AHL's Providence Bruins in February. Seeing significant ice time early in the season, he saw his role reduced with the return of some of Boston's injured regulars and the acquisition of John-Michael Liles. In the third year of his original entry-level contract, Miller will be a restricted free agent following the season. His play with Boston has been encouraging and he must continue to address his defensive game and work to add the strength and agility necessary to be a sound lower pairing defenseman. He also has potential as an effective power play quarterback.