Prospect Watch: Colin Miller Update 1.0

RinkRoyalty will be reviewing the progress of Los Angeles Kings prospects every Wednesday as the season continues to roll along.

This week was strange because, as it turns out, Prospect Watch could now take a look at the Kings newest American Hockey League prospect, Mike Richards. Richards will join the Los Angeles Kings AHL affiliate the Manchester Monarchs.

Richards hasn’t played in the AHL since he joined the Philadelphia Phantoms for 14 games in the 2004-2005 AHL playoffs. At that point in time Richards had not stepped on NHL ice.

Enough has been said about Richards, the wayward King.

This week’s edition of Prospect Watch takes an updated look at defensemen Colin Miller.

A 5th round, 151st overall, draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Miller is in his second year in the AHL. Last season Miller posted 5 goals, 17 points, 35 penalty minutes and a +5 rating.

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In 37 games this season Miller has 10 goals, 19 assists, and 29 points. In all three categories Miller ranks 4th on the Monarchs among all players, and 1st for team defensemen.

Miller’s also recorded 42 penalty minutes, a +2 rating and 6 power-play goals.

For his efforts Miller was selected to play in his first AHL All-Star game this past weekend in Utica, New York. Miller played for the AHL’s Eastern Conference; as the AHL still divides All-Star players by the East vs. West conference format.

Alongside Miller was his Monarch teammate and recent L.A. Kings call-up, goaltender Jean-Francois Berube. Both players showed off some of their “mad skills” at the skills competition.

Miller set the AHL’s all-time record for hardest shot. Here’s the video in GIF form from @myregularface:

Miller also won the fastest skater race with a time of 13.805:

Colin Miller (MCH) turns in a time of 13.805. ADK's Emile Poirer up next.
— Inside AHL Hockey (@InsideAHLHockey) January 26, 2015

Winning two of the major categories, and with a little help from Berube in the breakaway competition, Miller lead the East to a 15-11 win over the West in the skills competition.

Miller had an assist and was -1 in the East’s 14-12 loss in the AHL All-Star game on Monday.

In December, word around the Kingdom was that Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi was down in the AHL, traveling with the team, watching games, and assessing the talent stock in the Kings stable. Miller could have been one of those players Lombardi had his eyes on.

The early reports on Miller indicated that he was a raw talent. This season has shown that Miller can mature quickly, listening to direction. It’s a part of the process. Young players need to realize that not matter what their level of talent, they can improve on the little things.

As Percy C. Buck once wrote in Psychology for Musicians, “An amateur practices until he can do a thing right, a professional until he can’t do it wrong.”

Miller is a blossoming young talent in the Kings depth chart. Now playing with more confidence and intelligence on the ice, Miller is a threat on the Monarch’s power-play as evidenced by his increase in scoring.

Miller will continue to be a power-point asset to the Monarchs for the rest of this season. Next year is a real possibility for Miller to make the jump up to the Kings.

We’ll continue to watch Miller, Berube and all the Kings prospects, as the second half of the season wraps up.

Next: Kopitar Helps NHL Announce Return of World Cup Hockey

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