You might expect that by now, the New York Rangers would have a straightforward decision regarding K’Andre Miller. However, the team is facing uncertainty about whether to re-sign him this offseason or to part ways.
At 25 years old, Miller is a tall and athletic defenseman, drafted in the first round, who has already played 368 games in the NHL, primarily in a defensive role. This definitely suggests that they should consider offering him a long-term contract.
Talk about a sharp angle snipe by K'Andre Miller 🎯
Wow… pic.twitter.com/RASWXUtxLF
— NHL (@NHL) April 3, 2025
However, there’s the issue of his stagnant development and decreasing performance over the last two seasons. This raises concerns about whether he’s the right player for the Rangers to commit to for the next seven years or so, and whether they can rely on him to improve as he enters his prime.
Minn ties the game 4-4.K'Andre Miller with the giveaway. #NYR pic.twitter.com/xmEgB38IvF
— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) April 3, 2025
Keeping Miller could lead to the Rangers benefiting from a developing top-four defenseman in the future. On the flip side, they might find themselves weighed down by unmet expectations and a costly contract.
If they trade him, New York could receive a significant return from a team eager to acquire Miller. However, there’s a risk that he could become a standout two-way player, making Chris Drury and the front office look poor for the next decade as the Rangers struggle to fill the void left behind.
This summer’s decision won’t be easy. Miller is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, coming off a contract with a $ 3.872 million annual average value. He and his agent may aim for a lucrative deal just two years shy of unrestricted free agency.
“I would trade K’Andre,” said ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski during an appearance on the RINK RAP podcast with Forever Blueshirts. “The problem with K’Andre is that I don’t see the growth I’d like at this stage in his career. You could point to the state of the Rangers’ defense and his partners, but I would move him right now.”
Opinions are varied. Let’s see how the Forever Blueshirts staff breaks it down.
Debating whether Rangers should sign or trade K’Andre Miller
Jim Cerny – Executive Editor
In an ideal situation, I’d like to see Miller play next season under a new coaching staff and defensive system before committing to a costly long-term contract. The best way to achieve this might be to take him to arbitration for a one-year deal this summer. However, the arbitration process can be quite unpleasant and could harm Miller’s relationship with the team. That said, it would give the Rangers valuable insights to determine whether his two-year decline in performance metrics, such as production and high-danger chances against, is a reversible trend.
Currently, one could argue that Miller hasn’t fit well in the man-to-man defensive scheme used over the past two seasons, which might explain why he often lost his assignments. But does that excuse his frequent mistakes with the puck in his own zone? His 97 giveaways this season were almost triple his total from the previous year. Is that just a one-time issue or a concerning trend? Offensively, Miller is starting in the defensive zone more than any other Rangers defenseman, but given his natural talent, scoring 30-40 points per season should be attainable, especially if he’s paired with Adam Fox going forward.
With all that considered, I would reach out to teams to see what I could get for Miller, while also finding out what kind of contract and term he is looking for. Ideally, I would prefer to sign him to a reasonable contract unless an overwhelming trade offer comes along.
John Kreiser – Senior Writer
Miller possesses all the physical attributes needed to be an elite NHL defenseman—he’s tall, fast, and talented. However, even during his junior career, I’ve felt that something has always been lacking. His hockey IQ, which should complement those physical skills, just isn’t quite there. He showed some improvement after Will Borgen joined the team midseason, but it seems increasingly clear that he may never reach the level of elite defenseman the Rangers were hoping for. As a restricted free agent, he will likely seek a favorable contract and term. Don’t just let him go—however, if a strong offer comes in, it would be wise to consider it.
Dane Walsh – Staff Writer
Miller represents a tricky situation that Drury needs to navigate carefully if he wants to start 2025-26 on a positive note. Miller has displayed flashes of potential brilliance, and his underlying statistics from the past season were quite solid. While his point production declined, that trend was true for most of the team. I don’t believe Miller has yet earned a lucrative long-term contract, but offering him a 1-2 year “prove-it” deal is preferable to trading him away only to see him flourish as a defenseman elsewhere. I feel that Miller, along with several other Rangers, deserves the opportunity to demonstrate their value to this team.
Tom Castro – Staff Writer
The Rangers are confronted with a challenging decision regarding Miller, who, at just 25 years old, possesses a unique array of skills that should symbolize their future on defense. He’s large, agile, athletic, and offensively gifted, suggesting he could develop into a top-pair, versatile defenseman similar to Victor Hedman. However, Miller’s lack of progress over the past two seasons—particularly his regression in 2024-25—means the Rangers should strongly consider trading him while he still has perceived value that could yield a solid return.
His frustrating inconsistency and tendency for careless turnovers and errors in his own zone might indicate a pattern in his play rather than something he will naturally outgrow. Additionally, waiting for Miller to develop will no longer be a cost-effective approach for the team. After finishing a two-year, $ 7.7 million bridge deal, the restricted free agent is looking for a long-term contract. This poses a risky situation for the Rangers, especially as they have seen his performance trend downward for the past two seasons. While parting with such intriguing talent is a gamble, trading him and advancing the defensive overhaul that general manager Drury initiated this season appears to be a wise move, given the significant uncertainty regarding Miller’s future.
Eric Charles – Staff Writer
While free agent defensemen like Vladislav Gavrikov and Ivan Provorov could potentially join Adam Fox on the top pairing for the foreseeable future, both are older and likely more costly than Miller, who is just starting to hit his prime. This season has been challenging for the 25-year-old, but the Rangers might capitalize on his subpar performance to sign him at a better value and with higher upside than those top left-shot defensemen in the market. Miller’s maturity is just around the corner, especially on a team that is about to experience some cultural changes. Defensemen like him often excel with experience as the postseason approaches.
Keeping him, freeing up Carson Soucy’s contract, and trading Zac Jones along with some draft picks should be sufficient to acquire a reliable player for a top-four role behind Miller, perhaps someone like the tough Mario Ferraro. This would be my ideal plan unless Miller’s asking price becomes excessive (over $ 6.5 million per year). If the Rangers trade him and then see him develop into an even better player, it would be as frustrating as watching Pavel Buchnevich thrive with the St. Louis Blues after Drury quickly let him go in 2021.
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