2015-2016 Red Wings Player Grades: Drew Miller

Player Profile

Drew Miller
Born: February 17, 1984
Birthplace: Dover, NJ, USA
Shoots: Left
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent

Player Stats

Season Narrative

Drew Miller’s narrative has been the same over the last few seasons with the Detroit Red Wings – A fourth-line winger, and a penalty-killing specialist. Unfortunately for Miller, the players he usually skates with (including himself) are complete possession blackholes. They don’t generate offense efficiently, and they fail to get the puck up ice due to the fact that they are always pinned in their zone. Miller’s Corsi hovered just around 40% this season, which is woefully and utterly abysmal.

Of course, who doesn’t love our handsome Silverfox? The Michigan State University alumni playing alongside a University of Michigan alumni, creating a narrative as beautiful as an all-you-can-eat buffet at Big Boy. In reality, Players like Drew Miller are obsolete. If it came down to him or quite literally any other player signed to a contract in the Red Wings organization who’s name doesn’t rhyme with “man feary,” I’d likely take the other guy.

What He Did vs. Expectations

Did he meet expectations? I have no idea. No? Yes? Maybe? To be fair, he wasn’t given a true shot to meet expectations considering the fact that he went down with a nasty injury that sidelined him completely. Despite that, let’s pretend that Miller had his third-straight 82-game season. Before his injury, he was on pace for less than six points, and was boasting an abominable set of numbers in terms of possession metrics. So, even if he didn’t get hurt, I am 99.9-percent sure he would have left me feeling unsatisfied. The upside is that we had the chance to see some real damn good young players in the NHL.

The difference with Drew Miller is that I am not quite sure any of us really expect greatness of him. But I digress – His injury gave younger players a shot to play. It evens out, but I will be furious when the Red Wings offer him an extension. It’s going to happen.

Final Grade – Incomplete

Honestly, I was about to give him a failing grade, but I didn’t find it fair due to his season-ending injury. I think Miller is a fine penalty killer but outside of that, he has no true value to me as a fan, and I hope that he finds a new home somewhere else in the NHL this offseason.

Do you agree with my grade on Drew Miller’s 2015-2016 regular season?