Ex-Rangers defenseman set to miss 1st visit back to Garden due to injury
K’Andre Miller was slated to make his return to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday when his new team, the Carolina Hurricanes, visits his old club, the New York Rangers, However, it looks like the 25-year-old defenseman, whom the Rangers traded to their Metropolitan Division rival on July 1, won’t be there for the reunion.
Miller was placed on injured reserve Friday, retroactive to Oct. 20, with a lower-body injury. He has missed the Hurricanes’ past four games, including their 6-2 home win over the New York Islanders on Thursday.
Though Miller began skating with the team on Monday and was on the ice at practice Friday, coach Rod Brind’Amour said he will not travel with the Hurricanes for their two-game road trip — the ’Canes visit the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon before coming to New York. The coach said he “hopes it’s not too much longer” that the defenseman will be sidelined.
The Hurricanes are 7-3-0, third in the division, entering their game against the Bruins despite battling a host of injuries.
They are already without two top-four defensemen, Jaccob Slavin (lower body) and Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body). Gostisbehere returned Tuesday after missing three games but left after one period with another injury, this one to his midsection. Miller took the pregame warmup on Oct. 23 against the Colorado Avalanche but didn’t dress that night and hasn’t played since.
No. 2 goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov was activated off IR on Friday but has yet to play this season because of a lower-body issue. He was assigned to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL for a conditioning stint.
Two regular forwards, William Carrier and Eric Robinson, left the game against the Avalanche with injuries, and Brind’Amour said after that game each could be sidelined for an “extended period.” Carrier skated Friday.
Ex-Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller set to miss return to MSG
Miller had surgery in May for an upper-body injury sustained late in the 2024-25 season and didn’t play at all in the preseason with his new team. But he was healthy enough to score two goals in Carolina’s season-opening 6-3 win against the New Jersey Devils. In six games before the injury, he had four points (two goals, two assists) while averaging 23:32 TOI.
The Hurricanes paid a big price for Miller, who was a restricted free agent, both in talent and money. They sent the Rangers a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 draft, and their top prospect, 22-year-old defenseman Scott Morrow – who quickly made an impression during the preseason before being assigned to AHL Hartford.
As part of the sign and trade, Carolina inked Miller to an eight-year, $60 million contract ($7.5 million AAV). The trade came on the same day the Rangers signed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract ($7 million average annual value).
Miller had 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) in 74 games for the Rangers last season. He was selected by New York in the first round (No. 22 overall) in the 2018 draft and has 132 points (36 goals, 96 assists) in 368 regular-season games, as well as 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 43 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
But it was no secret that the Rangers were seeking to trade the talented-but-inconsistent defenseman. However, the haul they received and their willingness to deal him within the division were surprises to many — the word around the NHL had been that the Rangers were frustrated in their efforts to consummate a deal and that no one was willing to meet their asking price.
After the trade, Miller said the Hurricanes would be a great fit for his game.
“I think we’ve always had great battles in New York, at least when I was on the other side playing against Carolina,” he said. “They have such a fast team. They get up and down the ice in a fast motion and do everything as a team.
“It’s a fun group to watch, and they’ve had a lot of success recently, so I’m excited to join that style of game, and they have a great team over there, so I’m excited.”
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