AV's strong words on J.T. Miller's "commitment"

            DENVER---J.T. Miller, who was re-assigned to Hartford on Wednesday, didn’t exactly receive a ringing endorsement from coach Alain Vigneault. In fact, it was pretty harsh.

           “There needs to be more commitment on his part, both on and off the ice,” Vigneault said Thursday. “Until there is, he just hasn’t earned the right to be at this level on a regular basis,”

             Miller, 21, who was selected fifteenth overall in the first round of the NHL draft in 2011, was recalled before the road trip last Wednesday after Chris Kreider’s hand injury, which required surgery. He played 13 minutes against Philadelphia, was benched in the third period in the 4-3 loss to Calgary, and scratched in Edmonton and Vancouver.

              “Any young player going through the process of being an NHL player…you’ve got to figure it out,” said Vigneault. “Hopefully he will, and when he does, we’ll have a pretty good player, and if he doesn’t figure it out, he’ll be a good minor leaguer.”

             In  56 NHL games this season and last year, Miller was 5-5-10, with a minus-13.  His defensive reads have been an issue.  His numbers are far better in the AHL, with 12 goals and 37 points in 35 games.

            Miller was a favorite of former coach John Tortorella, but judging by Vigneault’s critique, he clearly will have to impress in training camp to crack the roster in October.