K’Andre Miller’s departure from the New York Rangers was a long time coming.
The Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes completed a sign-and-trade on Tuesday that sent Miller to North Carolina as he signed an eight-year, $60 million contract.
With Miller’s previous contract on the verge of expiring without another contract extension in place, there were rumblings during the 2024-25 season about whether or not the Rangers would be willing to give him a long-term commitment.
Over the course of the season, Miller continued to struggle, which only caused the speculation about a potential split between the 25-year-old and the Rangers to grow.
Miller heard it all, and he couldn’t help but fixate on it.
“I think there was a lot of noise throughout the season,” Miller said. “It was definitely in the back of my head that something could happen, might happen. I loved my time in New York and it was great. I’m excited for what’s to come in Carolina.”
Of course, Miller’s departure from New York wasn’t always uncertain; in fact, it wasn’t really on anyone’s mind up until a few months ago.
The Rangers drafted the Minnesota native in the first round in 2018 with high expectations that he could one day be a pillar on the Blueshirts’ blue line.
From the moment Miller made his Rangers debut during the 2020-21 campaign, he showed a ton of potential and worked his way up the depth chart.
During the 2022-23 season, he had his best statistical season, recording nine goals, 34 assists, and 34 points in 79 games.
Miller’s development path seemed to be right on track, and everything was coming to fruition in terms of his place with the franchise as the hopes for what kind of player he could transform into were becoming a reality.
However, over the next two years, Miller’s point totals took a dip.
More importantly though, Miller was not looking like the same player from a defensive standpoint this past season.
Rangers Receive Young Defenseman And Two Draft Picks In Exchange For K'Andre Miller
In exchange for K’Andre Miller, the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers" target="_blank">Rangers</a> have reportedly acquired defenseman Scott Morrow, a conditional 2026 first-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick.
He was prone to committing costly turnovers and didn’t provide a strong presence in his own zone to defend at a high level.
Ultimately, this sudden regression caused Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury to grow weary about giving Miller a long-term contract extension.
After the season came to an end, it was clear that a divorce between Miller and the Rangers was inevitable.
“With a young player that’s a year or a couple years away from free agency, it’s not always the easiest thing to come to an agreement on a long-term contract,” Drury said about Miller. “We just felt at this time it was best to allow him to explore a different opportunity.”
Miller was shopped by the Rangers for weeks, and it was a process that the young defenseman stayed out of for the most part.
All of the noise that surrounded him throughout the season was a burden for Miller, causing him to take a hands-off approach when it came to this trade process.
“I didn't know too much about it,” Miller said about being shopped by the Rangers during the offseason. “I honestly shut my phone off and my socials the last couple weeks, just with all the speculation and the noise... It was good to just kind of decompress and just worry about my summer, getting stronger and getting my mind right.”
After a long year filled with a lot of individual pressure and turmoil, Miller received the contract he desired and now gets a fresh start with the Hurricanes.
“It was a great day for me and my family, life-changing,” Miller said. “Me and my mom are not only set for life, but extremely happy for the position we're in.”