| 01 October 2010
"I don't think Miller's battling for a job. I think he has one, myself. To me, he does what he does. He's a good skater. He's smart. He's good with the puck. He can play up if you need him, he can kill penalties if you need him. He's a good player for us. He did a good job last year and I think he's going with confidence all the time. I think he's going to be a Red Wing."--Mike Babcock, obviously discussing Drew Miller's position with the Morning Sun.
The again, Babcock wanted both Jonathan "Big Rig" Ericsson and "The Namesake" Darren Helm up at the beginning of the 2008-2009 season, but Kenny Holland said, "no" and both players spent the majority of the season down in Grand Rapids.
But I like Drew Miller. I like what he brought to the team last year. He's one of those guys who never seems to take a shift off. He's down on the ice blocking shots, he's making opposing defensemen pay the price along the boards, he's great on the PK, and he can score you some goals. Miller set career highs in goals (10), assists (9), and points (19) last season while not even playing in all 82 games. So it would seem like a fair assumption to think that he could do even better this year.
Miller has really been battling Mattias Ritola for that final spot on the roster. But with Ritola sitting out most of the pre-season with an ear injury, Miller has made the most of his opportunity.
"Every camp I've been at you're competing for a spot no matter what. You've got to battle and prove yourself. This year is no different. I trained hard this summer and I believe I'm ready to step in and contribute like I did last year. I'm in the mindset where I've got to prove myself every day. I try and pride myself as being able to fit on any line and definitely be counted on to be responsible out there. And play well on the penalty kill." --Drew Miller
Ritola better work his tail off in these last pre-season games, because his bid for that last spot is starting to lose its steam.
