Stanley Cup champ Mike Rupp shines a harsh spotlight on J.T. Miller - "Especially when you have C on your jersey"

Mike Rupp shared strong comments about New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller. The Rangers sit at 10-10-2 and remain inconsistent, much like Miller, who has had a slow start to the 2025-26 season. He has 12 points in 22 games, which is well below his past seasons.

Speaking on Daily Faceoff's Rundown, Rupp, who has won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils back in 2003, said Miller has not looked like himself this season.

"Here's the thing with JT, ... I think here's a he's been being banged up all year," Rupp said. [15:35 onwards] "He's hurt, okay, but if you hurt that bad, then go get good. Because this team needs you to be - they can't score goals. You have been a 100-point guy, like they need you to be somewhat of JT Miller."

Rupp also mentioned Saturday's loss against the Detroit Red Wings, which raised concern. He pointed to a play where Mason Appleton scored into an empty net while J.T. Miller was on the ice. He also mentioned a shift where Jonathan Quick left the crease and Miller did not react.

"JT didn't really do anything there," Rupp said.

Rupp pointed out that these moments together make it seem like something is missing. He added that this is a bigger issue now that J.T. Miller wears the captain’s "C.

"I don't want to say it's fine, because it's not fine," Rupp said. "It's a bad look, especially when you have a C on your jersey. But as long as there are other moments where he's dragging the team along, I think you can maybe live with it, but we haven't really seen those, and if he's hurt, then get healthy, because this team right now, they need healthy."

Miller plays over 20 minutes per game, but his scoring has not matched his workload. He is now day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

J.T. Miller and the Rangers' three-game losing streak

The NY Rangers are on a three-game losing streak, losing to the Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights, and Colorado Avalanche. They have a goal differential of 11-6 in that stretch. So, there is clearly a need for offense, as the team is scoring only 2.50 goals per game, which makes it hard to win.

Artemi Panarin leads the team in points (19), and Mika Zibanejad leads in goals (7), but depth scoring is limited. Injuries have also slowed the team’s progress. So, clearly, J.T. Miller needs to reset, get healthy, and help lead the team again. The Rangers need more consistency from their captain as they try to stabilize their season.

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Edited by Ankit Kumar