Penguins add 'relentless' winger Miller in fifth round
Penguins vice president of player personnel Wes Clark said that their western-area scouts Robbie Sandland and Dan McLean were "really passionate about" the player the Penguins targeted in the fifth round of the draft on Saturday.
The Penguins picked center Ryan Miller with the 130th overall pick of the draft, and it's not difficult to see what value the scouts saw in him as a late-round pick.
Miller, 18, played the last two seasons for the WHL's Portland Winterhawks. He missed 18 games due to injury this past season, but still finished eighth on the team in scoring with 16 goals and 15 assists in 50 games. He continued to produce in the postseason, scoring four goals and nine assists in 16 games.
"Super competitive," Clark said of Miller. "Winger, hunts pucks, relentless, certain things that we covet."
The Elite Prospects Draft Guide wrote that Miller thrives most along the walls, where "he gets low to absorb contact, throws reverse hits, and intercepts opponents with his back. Never deterred, he sticks with every play and completes some incredible moves to pull the puck off the wall while fighting an opponent or two. After that, he goes hard to the net, wins positioning, and creates traffic, and he’s always involved defensively."
Miller was a key player on Portland's power play and penalty-kill. The CHL's league site wrote that "as a responsible 200-foot player, Miller brought consistency and a never-quit approach to the defensive side of his game. In tight areas or 50/50 puck battles, more often than not, the 5-foot-11, 174-pound forward emerged with possession."
Miller, who was 17 for the entire season, was an alternate captain for Portland this year, the first time in over two decades that a 17-year-old wore a letter for the Winterhawks.
Miller will go back to the WHL next season, but will make the move to college hockey in 2026-27, having already committed to the University of Denver. It's a move that will give him a different level of experience against bigger and generally older players before he eventually makes the jump to pro hockey.
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
7:47 pm - 06.28.2025DowntownPenguins add 'relentless' winger Miller in fifth round
Penguins vice president of player personnel Wes Clark said that their western-area scouts Robbie Sandland and Dan McLean were "really passionate about" the player the Penguins targeted in the fifth round of the draft on Saturday.
The Penguins picked center Ryan Miller with the 130th overall pick of the draft, and it's not difficult to see what value the scouts saw in him as a late-round pick.
Miller, 18, played the last two seasons for the WHL's Portland Winterhawks. He missed 18 games due to injury this past season, but still finished eighth on the team in scoring with 16 goals and 15 assists in 50 games. He continued to produce in the postseason, scoring four goals and nine assists in 16 games.
"Super competitive," Clark said of Miller. "Winger, hunts pucks, relentless, certain things that we covet."
The Elite Prospects Draft Guide wrote that Miller thrives most along the walls, where "he gets low to absorb contact, throws reverse hits, and intercepts opponents with his back. Never deterred, he sticks with every play and completes some incredible moves to pull the puck off the wall while fighting an opponent or two. After that, he goes hard to the net, wins positioning, and creates traffic, and he’s always involved defensively."
Miller was a key player on Portland's power play and penalty-kill. The CHL's league site wrote that "as a responsible 200-foot player, Miller brought consistency and a never-quit approach to the defensive side of his game. In tight areas or 50/50 puck battles, more often than not, the 5-foot-11, 174-pound forward emerged with possession."
Miller, who was 17 for the entire season, was an alternate captain for Portland this year, the first time in over two decades that a 17-year-old wore a letter for the Winterhawks.
Miller will go back to the WHL next season, but will make the move to college hockey in 2026-27, having already committed to the University of Denver. It's a move that will give him a different level of experience against bigger and generally older players before he eventually makes the jump to pro hockey.
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