4:33 p.m.: The deal will be a sign-and-trade with the Rangers, per Friedman. It will be an eight-year deal for Miller worth a total value of $60MM for $7.5MM per season. He’ll be Carolina’s highest-paid defenseman by a significant margin as a result. The Hurricanes’ 2026 first-round pick will be part of the return, per Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today.
4:16 p.m.: The trade has been agreed to in principle but has yet to be executed because Miller and the Hurricanes are still in talks on a new contract, per Friedman. He adds the trade was made in lieu of an offer sheet Carolina was preparing for Miller.
11:56 a.m.: The Hurricanes are acquiring the signing rights to defenseman K’Andre Miller from the Rangers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The trade return will center around draft pick compensation, per Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today.
After a season full of trade rumors, the Rangers have finally moved on from Miller and brought in Vladislav Gavrikov as his immediate replacement. Since the return package consists of draft pick compensation, this trade closely resembles the 2020 deal in which the Rangers traded defenseman Brady Skjei to the Hurricanes for a first-round pick.
Carolina will assuredly bank on the 2022-23 version of Miller, which was arguably the best season of his young career. During that campaign, Miller scored nine goals and 43 points in 79 games for the Rangers with a +12 rating, averaging nearly 22 minutes of ice time per game. Unfortunately, the Rangers only had the financial flexibility to sign Miller to a two-year bridge deal, but the belief at the time was that they would have liked to have retained him for longer.
Hindsight being 20/20, the Rangers were thankful that they didn’t sign Miller to a longer-term agreement. Since his breakout campaign in 2022-23, Miller has scored 15 goals and 57 points in 154 contests with a +5 rating. His possession and defensive metrics have also dropped, falling from a 51.5% CorsiFor% at even strength to 49.2%, and an 89.8% on-ice save percentage at even strength to an 88.7%.
Still, he has maintained a high level of physicality and continues to block over 100 shots each season. There is reason for optimism that many of his advanced metrics will improve in Carolina, considering that the team has a very deep defensive core and is one of the top possession teams in the league.
The trade also carries implications for the Hurricanes’ unrestricted free agents from their defensive core. Given that the team is planning on making Alexander Nikishin a full-time defender beginning in the 2025-26 season, there is little chance that Dmitry Orlov or Brent Burns will return to Carolina. Due to the trade protection given to the team’s other defensemen, the Hurricanes are likely to move out any of their current blueliners to clear a pathway for Orlov or Burns to return.
How do the Canes just keep getting all this talent falling into their laps?
Tons of potential but they guys afraid to hit anyone
they keep their picks and have a ton of cap room
Good for K’Andre and the Canes. The rangers seem so confused. Sullivan is probably sleeping worse every night.
Rangers just signed big defenseman from LA. This precipitated Miller move to open cap space
This trade highlights the Rangers determination to get worse. While Carolina does everything in its power to remain runner up in the EC
Thank God he’s gone…what a waste of talent…
No heart whatsoever…we got the defensemen we need and want from LA….
Good Riddance K Miller!!!
“Still, he has maintained a high level of physicality”, has this writer ever seen Miller play? Is he confusing him with JT Miller? KAM is the least physical player of his size that I have ever seen!
CORRECT !
Well, it worked for Skjei, maybe it’ll work for Miller. [shrug]
I liked K’Andre. A lot. Seemed like a good teammate. In his first few seasons, he was incredible with his stick on odd-man rushes, and could wrap guys up if they beat him with his long reach. So it goes with his Rangers teammates, but he fell off a cliff last year. I’ll never forget the two giveaways — the one in January where he gave it up at the blueline to the Avs and the one where he passed it to Matt Boldy who found Marco Rossi in April to tie the game in the 3rd. He started laying out instead of using his stick and body. He started getting beaten on the outside on rushes — he always seemed to turn too late. I had high hopes for him. Rod will probably turn him into a stout defender, and the Rangers will regret another lost development.
Is Nikishin going the other way? Already have a tentative hold on his future. 3rd pairing won’t endear him.
Still, he has maintained a high level of physicality and continues to block over 100 shots each season.
Whoever wrote this piece must not have seen Miller play the past 2 seasons. He wasn’t called K’Poke Miller, or Turnstile Miller for no reason. Was a turnover machine and frequently was caught out of position in the defensive zone. Not a big lose.
I want his agent. More than Slavin 😬
Betting on potential. Not sure about this.
I’d be happy if I was a Rangers fan.