The players’ summer with the New York Rangers began with surgery for an undisclosed upper-body condition. According to sources, he is scheduled to return at the start of next season.
It’s unclear whether this will be with the Rangers or another team. He is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, is likely hoping for a significant increase and a longer-term contract from the Rangers.
On the one hand, it appears to be a no-brainer to sign him, who has spent the majority of his five NHL seasons as a member of the top shutdown pairing. However, glaring defensive errors and declining offensive production over the last two seasons raise concerns about the Rangers’ long-term commitment to him.
The Rangers are currently pressed up against the salary cap. Re-signing defenseman K’Andre Miller with a significant raise and extending restricted free agent forward Will Cuylle would consume the majority of their available cap space—unless the team finds a way to offload additional salary this offseason.
Miller, who earned $3.872 million annually on his last deal, is still two years away from unrestricted free agency. This stage of a player’s career is often when teams lock in younger talent with long-term deals to avoid losing them later.
If the Rangers choose to explore trading Miller this summer, he would likely attract strong interest. However, new head coach Mike Sullivan may prefer to keep Miller and develop him further rather than part ways with a key player. Trading him would also create a big gap to fill—he averaged over 22 minutes per game, a workload not easily replaced.
“Defensemen who log 20+ minutes a night aren’t easy to find,” said New York Post beat reporter Mollie Walker on the Rink Rap podcast by Forever Blueshirts. “If you move him, you need to get someone capable of stepping into that role.”
Miller’s recent surgery might give some teams pause, though the recovery timeline suggests it was serious but not career-altering. He reportedly dealt with the injury late in the season and opted for surgery after rehab attempts failed. He missed games from April 7–9 and was also out from December 14–23.
This season, Miller recorded 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) in 74 games, averaging 21:57 of ice time. He posted 30 points the year before and had a career-high 43 points in 2022–23.
“I love being a New York Ranger,” Miller said during exit interviews. “These past five years have been some of the best of my life. … Right now, I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else.”
K’Andre Miller is second Rangers defenseman to undergo surgery
Miller became the second young defenseman for the Rangers to undergo surgery following a disappointing season in which the team failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four years. Braden Schneider, meanwhile, appeared at the team’s breakup day wearing a sling after having shoulder surgery.
“They told me I could’ve kept playing with it and even finished my career that way,” Schneider said. “But it could lead to other complications later in life that would be harder to manage, so I felt it was necessary to take care of it now.”
Schneider, 23, sat out the final two games of the season after the Rangers were eliminated from playoff contention in order to have the surgery. He’s expected to be ready in time for training camp.
Another uncertainty on the blue line is the future of Zac Jones. Though the 24-year-old is currently healthy, he’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and was open during the season about his frustration with limited playing time. The Rangers could potentially look to move his rights.