Colin Miller

Every team can benefit from a defenseman like Miller, but that doesn't mean he's a fantasy stud. The 30-year-old was finally healthy for the bulk of a season and produced 21 points in 79 contests while seeing primarily third-pairing minutes with the Stars last year. Now with the Devils after being acquired by the club in a July 1 trade, Miller figures to fill a similar role for his new team in 2023-24. From a fantasy perspective, Miller can throw some hits, but he doesn't block a lot of shots, so there's not a lot of appeal even in deeper formats for the Ontario native.

Miller managed 12 points, 91 hits and 51 blocked shots in 48 games last season while logging bottom-four minutes on a bad Sabres team. The 28-year-old defenseman may not find such consistent work in 2021-22 after the Sabres reacquired Mark Pysyk and added Will Butcher on the right side of their defense. Miller is a steady veteran still capable of playing as high as the second pairing with second-unit power-play time on a bad team, but there's virtually no chance he gets back to his 41-point outburst from 2017-18 with Vegas or even the 29-point effort he had a year later. He'll likely end up between 15 and 20 points with 100-plus hits and 60 blocked shots, but he'll probably end up in the red for plus-minus rating as well.

Miller appeared in 51 games as a bottom-pairing option for Buffalo in 2019-20, notching 11 points while posting a minus-9 rating over that span. The 28-year-old will continue to be a rotational, bottom-pairing player for the Sabres in 2020-21, so he won't be a viable fantasy option.

Miller isn't a household name in fantasy hockey, yet his offensive game is flourishing as he enters his prime. Case in point: the right-shot rearguard registered 13 goals and 57 assists -- including 30 power-play points -- between 147 games and two seasons with the Golden Knights. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds, Miller showcases a nice blend of speed and physicality, traits that should be a boon to Buffalo after the Eastern Conference club acquired him in a late-June trade for a pair of draft picks. With Rasmus Ristolainen and Brandon Montour occupying the top two spots at right defense, Miller could be relegated to the third pair with a corresponding dip in ice time, but either way, he's worth a look in deep leagues given a 0.40 points-per-game average derived from his contrasting roles between Boston and Vegas.

Miller was a pleasant surprise in his third NHL season, racking up 10 goals and 41 points on the Golden Knights' blue line. The 25-year-old rearguard was left exposed by the Bruins at the expansion draft and went on to play a key role in Vegas' tremendously successful inaugural season. Miller found himself a role on the second power-play unit and scored the first Stanley Cup Final goal in Vegas history. While asking for another 40-point campaign might be a bit much, Miller clearly has an offensive side to his game and is an asset with the man advantage. He fired 177 shots on goal but also dished out a punishing 165 hits, so while his offense could regress a bit in 2018-19, he should still be considered a fantasy asset in the majority of settings.

Miller, who logged six goals and 13 points in 61 games for the Bruins last season, was tabbed by Vegas in the NHL expansion draft, which presents the skilled 24-year-old with a golden opportunity to earn more consistent ice time. The 6-foot-1, 196-pounder brings an intriguing mix of speed and shooting velocity to his new franchise’s blue-line mix. However, part of the reason that Boston exposed Miller in the expansion draft, despite his upside, is that his puck management and positioning remain a work in progress 103 games into his NHL career. Should Miller earn regular power-play time this coming season, he could find himself on the fantasy radar, but as is the case with most of the players added by Vegas this past June, the defender’s future and role with the organization have yet to be determined.

Miller, who came over from the Kings last year in the Milan Lucic deal, logged 42 games with the Bruins in 2015-16 while recording three goals and 16 points. He’s already proved quite productive at the AHL level, and when the 23-year-old blueliner’s confidence doesn’t waver and he’s able to avoid costly turnovers, he’s an upside play whose shot and skating ability are assets to the Bruins’ attack. Having signed a one-way deal with Boston, we’d expect Miller to earn regular duty with the big club and if he carves out power play role in the process, he could emerge as a fantasy sleeper.

Miller, who the Kings dealt to the Bruins along with goalie Martin Jones and the 13th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Milan Lucic, is in line to compete with the likes of Matt Irwin, Kevan Miller, Joe Morrow, and Zach Trotman for a regular slot on the Boston blue line. The 6-foot-1, 201-pound Miller, who recorded 19 goals and 52 points in 70 games for AHL Manchester last season, certainly has the sort of skill set needed to advance to the next level in his third pro season. Miller, who turns 23 in October, stole the show at last year’s skills competition at the AHL All-Star Game, clocking in as the competition’s fastest skater, while also setting an AHL record with his 105.5-mile-per-hour shot.