While the Montreal Canadiens were collecting all the goaltenders at the draft, they managed to grab one from their own backyard. Quentin Miller’s availability so late in the draft could be largely due to a lack of game data on him, as he spent the past season as a backup with the Quebec Remparts.
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec
Date of birth: December 23, 2004
Catches: Left
Position: Goalie
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 181 lbs.
Team: Québec Remparts (QMJHL)
Champions of the QMJHL, as well as the Memorial Cup, the Remparts were contenders right out of the gate in the 2022-23 season. As such, they weren’t in a position to let a rookie in Miller play the bulk of their games, electing instead to go with the veteran William Rousseau.
Miller got his chances, and was impressive when called upon. His .911 save percentage and 2.11 goals-against average were better than Rousseau’s numbers, albeit posted in lower-leverage situations. With Rousseau now headed to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies for next season, Miller stands to get his opportunity to be a starter in his second QMJHL season.
He didn’t get to play much at the Memorial Cup, but he did get a relief appearance against the Peterborough Petes, in which he stopped every shot he faced. The most notable was a beautiful blocker save after coming in cold late in the game.
Quentin Miller comes in cold for the Remparts and makes a ridiculous save.#2023MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/NPhxatKGNL
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 31, 2023
Miller isn’t one of those gigantic goaltenders teams seem to covet over 6’5″ and 200 pounds, but he has a good frame at 6’3″ that allows him to cover a lot of net. Moreover, he uses solid positioning to be more efficient with his movement in the crease, allowing himself to make some tough saves look a lot easier than they are.
There is also an athletic element to his game, as he moves quite quickly in recovery to reposition himself in the net. To quote directly from Elite Prospects on Miller:
There’s a bit of old-school to Miller’s game. To go along with the pop-up recoveries, he also isn’t afraid to drop into the VH position on the post every once in a while when the situation calls for it. As Miller gets stronger and learns to use his size more effectively, he has the potential to turn into a very smart, adaptable professional goaltender.
At times, he sits a little too deep in his net, which isn’t as much of a problem for him in the QMJHL, but will be something to address before he faces professional shooters.
As is the case with most goaltenders, don’t expect to see Miller in a Canadiens uniform any time soon. He’ll get his shot to own the Remparts net next season, and hone his skills a little more with hopefully a bigger share of the action.
This should provide some real insight into his future, as the Remparts are coming off a championship and don’t figure to be the same powerhouse they were in 2022-23. He’ll face more rubber than he would have on their elite team this season, and if he does well he could make this pick look better by the game.
As a Montreal native, he should have plenty of motivation to go out and prove the Habs’ scouting staff right in picking him.
