Drew Miller Returns, and That's a Good Thing

The Red Wings have a lot on their plate heading into the summer.  The salary cap is dropping significantly and there are more players with the potential to play on the active roster than there are spots to accommodate them.  Detroit confirmed one spot recently, however, with the signing of forward Drew Miller to a 3-year deal.  The reaction I've seen across Red Wings Nation has been divided, to say the least: Some agree with the signing and are glad it happened, while some like Drew's style but don't feel there's room for him anymore, and others downright don't like him and wish he were already gone.

My thought? You can do FAR worse than Drew Miller. I'm glad he's staying.

Miller brings a lot of things to the table.  This isn't a 'devil you know' situation, because there's no devil.  Drew Miller is a bottom 6 forward who brings it every night and is usable in numerous situations.  He's never been on the roster to generate high production numbers, so it's a moot point to say he doesn't have a scoring touch.  Drew gets a goal here and there and helps set up some production, but it's his defensive awareness and his tenacity on the penalty kill that has made him a mainstay in Hockeytown.  As far as I'm concerned, the Red Wings' special teams units are the ones that need the most TLC and attention, and having Drew Miller on the PK makes that task that much easier.

There will be departures, and there will be buyouts.  I think the guys we have available might be a bit thinner than some people expect by the time training camp rolls around.  One thing is for sure, though: Drew Miller isn't going anywhere, and I'm pleased as Punch about it.