J.T. Miller poised for return after Rangers dealt injury blows

One day after the Rangers were dealt two crushing injury blows with goaltender Igor Shesterkin landing on injured reserve and defenseman Adam Fox landing on long-term injured reserve, the Blueshirts received a positive update regarding one of their stars.

Captain J.T. Miller, out since Dec. 20 with an upper-body injury, is expected to be available for the Rangers’ game against the Sabres on Thursday “barring anything out of the ordinary,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after practice Wednesday.

Miller practiced fully again — on the first line and the first power-play unit — after shedding the non-contact jersey late last week.

“We need everybody,” Vincent Trocheck said after the Rangers’ session in Tarrytown. “Losing two guys like [Shesterkin and Fox] hurts. Getting a guy back like J.T. obviously, it makes it a little bit less painful.”

Miller had collected 10 goals and 22 points across 35 games before absorbing a hit from the Flyers’ Nick Seeler, landing on injured reserve and missing the Rangers’ seven games since.

“I mean, that’s our captain,” Mika Zibanejad said. “One of our top players obviously, too. So it means a lot. It means a lot for us to have him back, and he means so much for us on and off the ice. I’m happy he’s back battling with us.”

Sullivan didn’t have any update on the severity or timeline of the injuries that Shesterkin and Fox sustained during Monday’s overtime loss to the Mammoth. Fox, who didn’t log a shift in the extra frame, suffered his injury late in the game.