RALEIGH, N.C. — K’Andre Miller is the kind of player who makes you question why it didn’t work out with the Rangers, the organization that drafted him with the No. 22 pick in 2018.
The Blueshirts traded the 25-year-old blueliner to Carolina on July 1 after five seasons, over which Miller served as a minutes-guzzling staple in the top four. His 6-foot-5, 210-pound build and raw athleticism made him one of the most tantalizing young defensemen in the NHL, but it only translated intermittently over his 368 games in New York.
Whether it was the environment, his personality or the way the two struggled to mesh at times, there seemed to be more than one reason for why Miller ultimately signed an eight-year contract with the Hurricanes instead of the Rangers.
Asked if he felt he was able to capture his best game with the Rangers, Miller said, overall, yes.
But he also acknowledged how a lack of consistency factored into his inability to stabilize.
“I think it came in bits and pieces, I showed it,” Miller said before facing his former team for the first time Wednesday night. “Just couldn’t get, I guess, a consistent grounding game that I could bring back every night. I think that was hard for me. I think, I don’t know, sat back and realized what I could do, whether it was training, working out, my mental health. There was a number of things that you can work on in the summer to really push yourself to that next step or next goal you want to be. I think, really, just comes within yourself and how bad you want it to get that change and to get that end result that you really want.”
K’Andre Miller #19 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates during the first period against the Minnesota Wild. NHLI via Getty Images
Miller said he had an idea of what this past offseason could hold as he approached restricted free agency, but it was still “a little shocking” of an experience to go through. The Rangers, who had already shipped out several longtime lineup regulars as they looked to retool, evidently did not want to commit to Miller long-term.
The previous couple of seasons saw Miller regress on both sides of the puck. His 2024-25 campaign — albeit tough for the entire team — was filled with costly turnovers and defensive lapses.
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And during the 2023-24 season, Miller needed to step away from the team for a couple of games for what was described as “personal reasons.” It was a reset for the Minnesota native, who often applied additional pressure to himself when his game was not up to his standards.
When the trade was finalized, Miller said he was “on the fence” about it.
Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller (79) leans in on Philadelphia Flyers Anthony Richard. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“It was weird at first,” said Miller, who finished his Rangers tenure with 36 goals and 132 points. “It’s definitely emotional the first little bit, realizing you’re not going to play there the following year. But, how great of an opportunity it was to play in MSG for five years for, obviously, one of the greatest teams, I think, really in our world right now. You love the nostalgia with the Rangers, and I think everybody has seen the ups and downs of what it means to be a New York Ranger. I think just being in it and getting to experience it, I’ll never turn down those memories or forget about those. Those are some of the best years of my life, and really where I got to grow as a human, hockey player and person.”
Miller, who did not get together with any of his former teammates Tuesday night, admitted there were a lot of emotions running through him ahead of his first game against the Rangers.
Despite the bits and pieces of Manhattan that he misses, the slower pace of life seems to be agreeing with Miller.
He said he feels like he is thriving with the Hurricanes, loving life and beginning a new career in Raleigh. If it wasn’t going to happen in New York, it was probably going to happen somewhere else.
“It’s been everything we had hoped for,” Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said of Miller, who has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 16 games this season. “You kind of know the player from coaching against him, but you don’t know what his impact can be. When he’s on, it’s an elite player there. He’s been a little nicked up this year, unfortunately, so we’ve missed him a little bit. But when he’s been going, feeling good, he’s been really effective.”