The New York Rangers have completed one of their last two main objectives for the offseason. They have agreed to terms with K’Andre Miller on a two-year deal that will pay him $3.872 million per season. While many wanted the Rangers to try and sign him to a longer-term deal, they simply could not get it done with the lack of cap space available. They still need to sign fellow restricted free agent Alexis Lafreniere with just $2.3 million in cap space. This deal allows the Rangers to have one of their key defensemen locked up short-term while giving them the flexibility they will need going into the season.
Short-Term Benefit to Miller Contract
Signing Miller to a short-term deal is good for both the team and the player. For the Rangers, they knew they couldn’t lock him up long-term because they lack the cap space and could only make it work if they moved Barclay Goodrow, and that looks like it won’t be happening. So, management decided on a bridge deal for less money so they can still afford to sign Lafreniere and make other moves in the future. While it may not be what fans wanted, the Rangers didn’t have much choice.
For Miller, this is the best deal he could have gotten at the moment. He is coming off the best season of his career offensively, and he got as much money as the team could afford, and when the contract expires, he should be able to make tons more money.
The salary cap will rise significantly over the next two years, and when Miller negotiates his next deal, the Rangers should be able to get the term they want, and Miller should be able to get the money he thinks he deserves. The Rangers and Miller will benefit from this deal over the next two seasons.
Continued Development From Miller
Miller is only 23 years old and is still getting better defensively. If he wants a big pay raise in two years, he must continue to develop. He scored nine goals and 43 points in 79 games last season and also showed that he can be a good two-way defender – his previous career high in points was 20 in 2021-22. He saw a 23-point increase, and 38 of his 43 points came at even strength, as he plays very little on the power play. He had more even strength points than Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, and Chris Kreider, and if he can continue to grow his offensive game, the Rangers might have to pay up in two years.
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However, he must focus on his defensive game. While he looked good in the first half of the season, there were times in the second half when he looked lost. He went from a plus-23 in the 2021-22 season to a plus-12 last season. While it might not be the biggest drop-off, it could be a sign that there are weaknesses in his game.
He did look good in playoffs, and while the rest of the team struggled, he and Jacob Trouba were the best defensive pairing on the Rangers. In the seven games against the New Jersey Devils, the Miller-Trouba pairing was not on the ice for an even-strength goal against, which is impressive considering that the duo has struggled often in the past few years. If Miller can build off that performance and learn to play a more physical game, he will be worth every cent of this deal.
Can Miller Live Up to His Potential
Over the next two seasons, all eyes will be on Miller to see if he can grow into a top-pairing defenseman who can play with Adam Fox for years to come. While Ryan Lindgren is already in that role, he will need a new contract after this season. If Miller can play up to his potential and become a top-pairing defensive partner for Fox, there will be a very big bag of money waiting for him at the end of this new deal.