Montreal Canadiens fans don’t get a lot of breaking news in the month of August, so here at A Winning Habit, we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 31 prospects currently in the Habs organization. Each player was carefully deliberated by our writers and ranked accordingly. Today, we start with the 31st-ranked prospect, Quentin Miller.
Miller was picked in the fourth round, 128th overall, by the Canadiens and was the second goaltender of three taken during the 2023 draft. The Montreal native played for the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL last season, primarily in a backup role. The Remparts went all the way last season, winning the QMJHL and the Memorial Cup, with Miller backstopping them for 20 games during the regular season.
In those 20 games, Miller had a .911 SV% and a 2.11 GAA, which is pretty good for a rookie in that league, a notoriously high-scoring one. Of course, playing behind the league’s top team certainly helps. Still, Miller should be primed to take on a more significant role next year, with the team’s previous starter, William Rousseau, traded to Rouyn-Noranda not long after the Memorial Cup victory.
That certainly sounds as though the Remparts are very high on Miller, and believe he’s ready to take hold of the crease. The Canadiens clearly do, too, hence his selection, despite already taking a goalie earlier in the draft. It’ll be on Miller to prove both the Remparts and the Canadiens right in his new role next year.
Standing at six-foot-three, Miller certainly has the ideal frame for a modern-day NHL goaltender, but he’s also considered to be a really smart netminder as well. He’s technical and doesn’t rely solely on his size to make stops; he has a very methodical approach. In fact, he could stand to use his size to his advantage more and, in doing so, possibly carve out a role as an NHL goaltender.
"Oh, I’m ready. I’m definitely ready. I’ve been waiting for this for quite a while."#GoHabsGo prospect and @quebec_remparts goaltender Quentin Miller is ready to embrace the challenge as the team's starter between the pipes.
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) July 24, 2023
Naturally, as being ranked 31st on our list would indicate, Miller probably doesn’t project to be much more than a backup goalie in the NHL. That seems like a safe bet, and anything more than that could be considered a bit of an unrealistic expectation. He’s got the chops to be a good goaltender, but he hasn’t played much hockey over the last two years, thus making it difficult to predict exactly what he can become.
A big year in the starter’s net could undoubtedly go a long way in his standing within the organization. There’s still a ton of time to show what he can do, but for now, he’s ranked 31st on our list.
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