This past season, Milano made the Lake Erie Monsters as a 19 year old and was mostly used in a bottom nine role, with some powerplay time. Milano’s season was a bit up-and-down, with unrealistic expectations foisted on him by some, who expected a dominant AHL season, when really Milano playing in the league at all at under-20 years old is an accomplishment of it’s own right. In fact, Milano was the 7th youngest player to have dressed in 20+ games for an AHL team last season.
Sonny finished with a very respectable 31 points in 54 games for the Monsters. Of the class of 21 players under the age of 20 to play more than 20 games in the AHL last season, Milano was 8th in primary points per game, with a 0.481 rate. That number looks even better when you factor in that the Monsters were only the 17th highest scoring team in the AHL last year. Putting up these offensive numbers on a defense-first squad while playing a depth role is a good omen. That performance was rewarded late in the season, as Milano played his first three NHL games for the Blue Jackets in March, notching an assist, before being sent back to Lake Erie to take part in the Monsters’ Calder Cup run.
When watching Milano play you can see the talent and skill oozing out of him. When the puck is on his stick you don’t want to look away for a moment. He’s got a bit of an over-reliance on the backhand, something which he’ll need to work on. It’s a strength of his game, but needs to be properly incorporated with the rest of his skill set in order to have maximum impact. A couple of nitpicks from scouts and observers is the lack of defensive prowess he possesses. While it has seen a slight uptick thanks to the defensively-responsible system that the Monsters coaching staff implements, it’s not a strength. Milano has noticeably bulked up and has somehow become a quicker skater. He is still prone to be pushed around by stronger players, but he can be quite elusive in one on one battles which helps to counteract that. The immediate impact isn’t there but his development is happening at a good clip, he should be contributing sooner rather than later.
Future Outlook
He is going to get his chances to be an impact player in the NHL. The Blue Jackets are content with letting the team improve from within. Milano is as dynamic as they come and could be an upgrade if put in the right spot. His passing is already sublime, while his shot selection leaves a little something to be desired. He is going to be the top offensive option for the Lake Erie Monsters this season and will likely be one of the first players called up to the Jackets if injuries to top shelf players takes place. Should his development continue at the same pace, Milano’s likely path is to become a full-time NHL’er as soon as 2017/18.
Age: 20 (05/12/1996)
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’1″, 205lbs
2015/16 Team: Lake Erie Monsters (AHL), Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Likely 2016/17 Destination: Cleveland Monsters
(stats courtesy of Elite Prospects)
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