The New York Rangers have come close in recent years to winning the Stanley Cup – but lacking in certain areas has cost them. One of those can be fixed by promoting K’Andre Miller and giving him a shot to play a larger role.
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After all, the defensive side of the ice is supposed to be a strength. In 2023-24, the Rangers ranked seventh in the NHL in goals-against average. While the defensive group is a part of the success, the elite goaltending the Blueshirts have been blessed with from Igor Shesterkin to Jonathan Quick has likely inflated those numbers a bit.
Struggles of Top Pair and Why Rangers Should Elevate Miller
In fact, even as Adam Fox put another Norris Trophy-caliber season on the score sheet, the top pair (which featured him and Ryan Lindgren) failed to tilt the ice in the Rangers’ favor. The duo in 908 minutes together during the 2023-24 regular season generated an expected goals share of just 46.39 percent, according to Natural Stat Trick. In the playoffs, that number between the partners was even worse – at 41.82 percent.
While Lindgren and Fox have proven to be a reliable pairing in the past – perhaps it has gotten stale. Sometimes change is necessary to take a step forward. After all, the top pair is an important unit to match up against the opposing team’s top players. You can’t have them being a net liability out there.
Head coach Peter Laviolette told the media that will “move” through training camp, according to Vincent Mercogliano of USA TODAY Network. So perhaps he’s open to making a permanent change.
Of course, the Rangers won’t be removing their former Norris-winning defender off the top pair – so who replaces Lindgren? It needs to be a left-handed defenseman, meaning Jacob Trouba or Braden Schneider wouldn’t be a candidate. Zac Jones likely won’t be offered that responsibility right away, even after impressing in a limited number of games last season as the seventh defenseman.
This leaves Miller as the only viable option to play next to Fox. Plus, the two have spent some time together as well and performed well in a limited showing. In 63 minutes during 2023-24, the two generated an xGF of 70.11. It’s a small sample size – but you’d certainly like to see more of it. Laviolette will have all training camp to give it a look, and the entire regular season to experiment with the potential duo. It’s likely the Rangers will be a safe bet to make the playoffs – barring something catastrophic – dare we say a long-term injury to star goaltender Igor Shesterkin. But unless that happens, Laviolette should take time to let the pairing gel and find out.
Also, Miller has all the tools that you want in a defenseman. Sports analysis website, Finest, made the case that Miller could emerge as a star. His 6-foot-4 frame combined with his elite skating ability gives him an advantage to break out. Plus, he’s always been a dependable penalty killer. Maybe he doesn’t have enough offensive upside to become a modern-day Chris Pronger – but he has enough hockey ability to complement Fox. Think of what Matias Ekholm was to PK Subban with the Nashville Predators.
Exploring the Trade Market
The trade deadline is a ways away, of course, and it will likely be months before general manager and president Chris Drury pulls the trigger for reinforcements. Maybe Miller will prove himself as a dependable partner for Fox – but that shouldn’t stop the 48-year-old executive from targeting a defenseman. Lindgren and Trouba may not be a part of the Rangers’ quest for the Stanley Cup. After all, Drury did not commit to a long-term contract for Lindgren and Trouba was in the rumor mill this offseason.
Who Drury could trade for will depend on how the standings shape out and who the sellers are before the 2025 Trade Deadline. Some of the top pending unrestricted free agents on opposing teams include Shea Theodore, Jeff Petry, Jake McCabe, and Jakob Chychrun. Currently, only Petry plays on a team that did not qualify for the playoffs in 2023-24 – that’s the Detroit Red Wings, who just narrowly missed the postseason during that stretch.
And although Theodore could solve a lot of problems with his offensive and puck-moving ability the Rangers lack on the blue line – it’s hard to imagine the Vegas Golden Knights missing the playoffs. If the market is limited on the big fish defensemen, the Rangers could go for lesser in-demand pending UFAs including Erik Johnson, Brian Dumoulin, or Ryan Suter.
But what if someone with a little more term – say, Mike Matheson of the Montreal Canadiens – became available? The asking price on the 30-year-old defenseman, who is coming off a career season with 62 points, would likely be high. Matheson currently has two years left at around a $4.86 million average annual value.
But before the trade deadline comes, it’s time to find out if Miller can take that next step and become Fox’s new partner. The 22nd overall pick in 2018 has all the tools you want in a defenseman. He has already proven himself as a reliable second-pairing player, and the Rangers can’t hold him back. The worst that could happen is Miller isn’t an ideal fit next to Fox and he goes back to playing with Trouba or Braden Schneider. There’s nothing to lose by giving it a shot.
