Even with the heavy criticism sent his way during New York’s dumpster fire of a 2024-25 season, as well as the fact that clearly general manager Chris Drury didn’t have the appetite to invest in him long term, Miller appears quite happy with how things turned out.

The Rangers moved Miller to their division rival, who then signed him to a lucrative eight-year, $60 million contract. New York received defenseman Scott Morrow and two draft picks — a conditional first-round selection in 2026 and a second-rounder next year.

“Obviously, I knew what the summer might entail. I hadn’t gone through that before, and obviously, it was not unexpected. It was a little shocking to go through that experience,” Miller explained to the media after the morning skate. “But I’m thriving now. I’m loving life. It’s been amazing coming down here to Carolina and [I] came to start a new career here, so it’s been fun.”

K’Andre Miller on the ice this morning ahead of his first game against #NYR pic.twitter.com/4fqMfZ796h

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) November 26, 2025

Miller’s averaging a career-high 22:52 TOI over 16 games with the Hurricanes, who host the Rangers for a Thanksgiving Eve clash at Lenovo Center. He was expected to fill a second-pair role but spent much of his 5v5 time on the top defense pair because Jaccob Slavin is on IR and only played two games so far.

The 2018 first-round pick (No. 22 overall) by the Rangers scored two goals in his Hurricanes debut Oct. 9 against the New Jersey Devils. He’s added eight assists since for a total of 10 points.

Miller missed six games with an injury from Oct. 23 – Nov. 4. The final game he missed in that stretch was against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, which would’ve been a homecoming for him.

Nonetheless, coach Rod Brind’Amour is pleased with all that Miller’s done to help the Hurricanes (14-6-2) sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 30 points.

“He’s been great. It’s been everything we had hoped for,” Brind’Amour told reporters pregame. “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.”

Rangers recall Connor Mackey from AHL Hartford

Connor Mackey — photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

In a sign that Will Borgen may not be ready to be activated off IR, the Rangers recalled defenseman Connor Mackey from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Wednesday afternoon.

Borgen missed five of the past six games with an upper-body injury. He participated in New York’s morning skate in Raleigh, wearing a regular jersey, after he wore a no-contact sweater at practice the day before.

With Borgen on injured reserve, the Rangers had six defensemen on the active roster. The Rangers played without an extra defenseman on the roster Monday, when they defeated the St. Louis Blues at home 3-2. But being on the road, it appears the Rangers wanted a seventh defenseman as a precaution in case Borgen isn’t healthy enough to go.

After the game in Raleigh, the Rangers head to Boston for a matinee against the Bruins on Black Friday.

Mackey has 42 games of NHL experience, including three games with the Rangers the previous two seasons. The 29-year-old has three assists and nine penalty minutes in 15 games with Hartford this season.

The 25-year-old didn’t suit up when the Carolina Hurricanes face-off with the Rangers in a Metropolitan Division clash, though. Miller is still nursing a lower-body injury sustained Oct. 20, but he joined Carolina’s morning skate in a regular practice jersey.

This is his first return to The Garden since the Rangers traded Miller to the Hurricanes on July 1. He has four points (two goals, two assists) in six games, but missed Carolina’s past five contests and remains on IR.

Rod Brind’Amour doesn’t think K’Andre Miller will play tonight, but he raved about his early-season play for Carolina.

“His skating ability fits perfectly.” https://t.co/M2nHexKSCO

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) November 4, 2025

Miller’s five-season tenure with the Rangers isn’t the feel-good story it could have been. After a promising rookie campaign in 2020-21 that earned him a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team, and a career-best nine-goal, 43-point 2022-23 season, the former first-round pick (No. 22 overall in 2018) trended toward becoming a mainstay in New York’s defense corps for years to come.

It wasn’t to be. Highlight-reel plays and incredible athleticism stood in contrast to inconsistent production and sloppy turnovers, culminating in a frustrating conclusion to his time on Broadway.

With Miller a restricted free agent holding arbitration rights after a subpar 2024-25 season, the Rangers didn’t want to commit long term for big bucks — so they moved him to the Hurricanes in a summer sign-and-trade.

Carolina came to terms with the left-shot defenseman on an eight-year, $60 million contract. That average annual value of $7.5 million is more than the Rangers gave the more experienced and reliable defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov ($7 million AAV over seven seasons) in free agency.

Speaking to reporters after practice Tuesday, Miller candidly reflected on a five-year Blueshirts tenure that spanned 368 regular-season games and 43 more in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Confidence-wise and just what I wanted from myself, I wasn’t getting all the results I wanted here,” Miller conceded. “I blame myself for that.”

According to Evolving Hockey, Miller was 42nd percentile defensively during his final season with the Rangers, marking his first time below League average since his 53-game rookie campaign. Meanwhile, his offensive production dipped under 30 points for the first time in three seasons; Miller finished with seven goals and 27 points in 74 games.

“I had some struggles throughout my years here. The ups and downs just kind of took a toll and it was in my head for a lot of the time I was here,” he acknowledged. “It’s been good getting out to Raleigh. That slower style of pace, that slower style of living has benefited me a ton and really given me a second start.”

K’Andre Miller appreciates time with Rangers

Miller made a strong first impression in his Hurricanes debut, scoring twice and helping them open the season with a 6-3 home win over the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 9. Afterward, the former Blueshirt joked with the Lenovo Center crowd during an on-ice interview postgame.

“I honestly hated playing here when I was on the other side, so I’m happy you guys are in my corner now.”

Former #NYR K’’Andre Miller immediately after his 2G debut for the @Canes ⤵️
pic.twitter.com/lMjffCHBtR

— Matthew P. Mugno (@mugnoma) October 10, 2025

The sixth-year pro clearly embraces his fresh start, but he expressed gratitude for his five seasons with the Rangers.

“I’ve had a number of talks with guys that have been on New York, that have got dealt out of New York, and I think their biggest thing is, you really don’t realize how great you have it here until it’s gone,” Miller said. “From the amenities to the travel to the food — it’s just the little things that you take to appreciate after the fact.”

Of course, there was plenty to appreciate about Miller in a Rangers uniform, too. He logged significant minutes in a top-four shutdown role with a variety of partners during his Rangers tenure. He also played an important part helping the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final in 2022 and 2024, and win the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24.

Miller has three more chances to play against his former team this regular season. Carolina hosts New York on Nov. 26 and Dec. 29, before returning to MSG on Feb. 5.

Don’t discount a possible head-to-head clash in the postseason, either. If not this go-round, at some point during Miller’s extended run with the Hurricanes that carries though the 2032-33 season.

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.

Pretty much good news all around for the #Canes today on the health front.

• A major bullet was dodged with Seth Jarvis, who left last night's game after blocking a shot. He may be able to play tomorrow in Boston.

• William Carrier and K'Andre Miller (LBIs) both skated today… pic.twitter.com/WKs3Pjp4UG

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) October 31, 2025

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.

The #Canes have activated goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov from injured reserve.

Defenseman K’Andre Miller has been placed on injured reserve.

Details » https://t.co/zP4LvI330c pic.twitter.com/ZaC3Jj9k1M

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 31, 2025

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.

K’Andre Miller posted a farewell message to the #NYR, their fans and the people who make MSG come alive on Instagram 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/SDH8i5S4nD

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) July 17, 2025

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.”

After taking warmups on Thursday, Miller was a late scratch for the Hurricanes’ 5-4 shootout win against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. Miller reportedly has a lower-body injury.

When asked about Miller’s status, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said postgame, “I don’t know what’s going on there; that could be a while. It’s tough on the injury front right now.”

So, this guy is fitting in nicely pic.twitter.com/aDmiwsHeA6

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 10, 2025

The Hurricanes are 6-1-0 entering their game against the Stars in Dallas on Saturday, and they’ve done it despite battling a host of injuries.

They were already without two top-four defensemen, Jaccob Slavin (lower body) and Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body), before Miller couldn’t go against Colorado. No. 2 goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has yet to play this season because of a lower-body issue.

Two regular forwards, William Carrier and Eric Robinson, left the game against the Avalanche with injuries, and Brind’Amour said each could be sidelined for an “extended period.”

Ex-Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller injured, could 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, and has four points (two goals, two assists) in six games, 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 Carolina’s top prospect, 22-year-old defenseman Scott Morrow – who quickly made an impression during the preseason before being assigned to Hartford of the American Hockey League.

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 — word 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.

K’Andre Miller posted a farewell message to the #NYR, their fans and the people who make MSG come alive on Instagram 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/SDH8i5S4nD

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) July 17, 2025

Miller said after the trade that 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 at the time. “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.”

The 25-year-old defenseman played a game-high 31 shifts, tied for second on the Hurricanes with four shots on goal, and was credited with two hits in 19:10 TOI.

“I thought he was exceptional,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said postgame. “Take the goals away even — just impactful.”

One of us!
One of us!
One of us! pic.twitter.com/K7B8bhKsPn

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 10, 2025

What made his performance stand out even more is that this was Miller’s first game of any kind since mid-April with the Rangers, when he helped them defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning to close out an extremely disappointing season.

Miller had surgery in May for an undisclosed injury and didn’t play at all in the preseason with his new team. Only recently was he cleared for contact at practice.

But he jumped right in, paired with Jalen Chatfield on the blue line, and looked the part of the exceptional player the Hurricanes raved about after picking him up from the Rangers.

“Obviously, I didn’t have any preseason games, so this was kind of my real first look with the team. I think once I got adjusted and up to the speed of the game, I felt great. It was fun,” Miller said.

✔️ First #Canes game
✔️ First #Canes goal

Welcome to Raleighwood, Key! pic.twitter.com/qrkCIfWeWR

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 10, 2025

Miller snuck a quick shot through some traffic, off the post, and in to give Carolina a 2-1 lead at 9:23 of the second period. Then, after New Jersey’s Cody Glass tied things up, Miller scored again to make it 3-2, hammering a power-play slap shot off Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom and into the cage 10:21 into the third period. It was his the third two-goal in the NHL.

So, this guy is fitting in nicely pic.twitter.com/aDmiwsHeA6

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 10, 2025

Asked if he was surprised that first one got past Markstrom, Miller laughed.

“Yeah. Totally.”

Ex-Rangers center Filip Chytil healthy again, scores twice for Canucks to begin season

Miller wasn’t the only former member of the Rangers core to score a twice in his season debut Thursday. Filip Chytil netted a pair of goals for the Vancouver Canucks in their 5-1 home win against the Calgary Flames.

FIL-THY FINISH pic.twitter.com/nAWtBxrQf3

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 10, 2025

The Rangers traded Chytil to the Canucks on Jan. 31 as part of the package to land J.T. Miller, who’s now their captain. Like K’Andre Miller (No. 22 overall in 2018), Chytil (No. 21 overall in 2017) was a first-round pick by the Rangers, whom general manager Chris Drury ultimately deemed expendable.

Chytil’s injury history was his biggest issue in New York. And his fresh start in Vancouver last season was ruined by yet another head injury.

But Chytil’s healthy again, and the 26-year-old center started this season in style with the seventh two-goal game of his NHL career. Chytil, who was named the game’s First Star, scored at 2:54 and 8:53 of the third period, extending Vancouver’s lead from 1-0 to 3-0.

Chytil doubles the #Canucks lead ✌️ pic.twitter.com/uLDhip8Gxg

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 10, 2025

Chytil said he’d enjoy this one “until midnight” and then get back to work with the Canucks, “plenty of things to improve on.”

Canucks coach Adam Foote was equally as measured with his postgame comments about Chytil’s performance.

“He was good. He looked fast. He didn’t look nervous. He looked like he wanted the puck on his stick and that he wanted to play hockey.”

Chris Kreider was held off the score sheet in his debut with the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. Kreider had one shot on goal, two hits, and logged 16:49 TOI in a 3-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken.

Former Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren was up to his familiar tricks, blocking a game-high six shots and playing more than 21 minutes in his first game with the Kraken after signing with them as a free agent this summer.

In fact, Scott tied the pair of moves into one because one wouldn’t have happened without the other. He sees trading Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes as a 4-for-1 winner in the Rangers’ favor.

“That’s insane. I don’t think people realize how good that is,” Scott raved on a recent Dropping the Gloves podcast. “[Rangers general manager Chris Drury] turned K’Andre Miller into Gavrikov, a first [round draft pick], a second, and a prospect, Scott Morrow, who could potentially crack the lineup this year for the New York Rangers.”

Scott called Gavrikov an “incredible defensemen.” The 29-year-old signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Rangers on July 1 after he was the top defenseman one on of the League’s best defensive teams (the Los Angeles Kings) last season.

Want to watch Vladislav Gavrikov play defense? Now its going to feel a little weird, but this is what Defense looks like 😂 #NYR pic.twitter.com/1ssU89FREQ

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) July 2, 2025

Considering the Rangers were, in Scott’s words, “horrendous in their D zone” in 2024-25, it was clear their biggest need was finding a stud defender to stabilize things in their own end. Gavrikov was their No. 1 target, and landing him was a coup in Scott’s opinion.

Though there’s some speculation about whether coach Mike Sullivan will put Gavrikov immediately on the top pair with Adam Fox, or choose to try out a shutdown second pair with Gavrikov and Will Borgen, remains to be seen in training camp. But Scott leaves little doubt about where he thinks Gavrikov will play.

“Adam Fox will be paired with him. They will play 25 minutes a game and they will be very, very good. They will be downright scary to play against,” the former Rangers forward said confidently. “Gavrikov will be that security blanket. Fox will be able to roam, and Fox is a good defensive defenseman too, don’t get me wrong. So, this is a very scary pairing. I like this. And you have a coach in Mike Sullivan who knows how to deploy them.”

Related: How Vladislav Gavrikov fits Rangers shift to ‘quieter’ defense

John Scott declares Rangers did right trading ‘completely uncoachable’ K’Andre Miller

So sold on Gavrikov is Scott that he said the newcomer is a “massive upgrade on Ryan Lindgren,” Fox’s longtime defense partner. And that’s after Scott detailed how the Lindgren-Fox pair was one of the best in the League for several years.

The Rangers traded Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche ahead of the deadline in his walk year last March. Lindgren signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Seattle Kraken on July 1.

They could’ve re-signed Miller, who was a pending RFA with arbitration rights and possibly partnered him with Fox moving forward. But the Rangers instead traded him, opting to sign Gavrikov instead.

Scott is onboard with that plan. Especially because of the many deficiencies he sees in Miller’s game.

“K’Andre Miller, and I’m going to be kind here because he’s still relatively young and maybe he’s got a high ceiling, last year was garbage,” Scott explained. “They guy turns the puck over all the time and he’s lost in the defensive zone. He is completely uncoachable, from my standpoint. … He gets out of position all the time. … He gets jittery when he’s under pressure.”

"THE OVERTIME HERO AGAINST NEW YORK" 😤

Brady Tkachuk with a game-winner in OT‼️ pic.twitter.com/2XStjjyYwp

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 8, 2025

Clearly the Hurricanes don’t agree. They signed the 25-year-old to an eight-year, $60 million contract, that pays him $500,000 more per season than the Rangers gave Gavrikov.

The fact that the Rangers and Hurricanes are Metropolitan Division rivals makes this a juicy sublot to follow. Not only this season, but for years to come.

And we’ll see if it’s as one-sided a victory for the Rangers as Scott claims it is right now.

Yet despite their having played only 30 combined NHL games, the Rangers will be counting on a significant step forward from Brennan Othmann and/or Gabe Perreault in 2025-26. Without that happening, chances are the depth problems up front that have plagued the Blueshirts for the past few seasons will continue to drag them down.

The two first-round draft picks are young. Othmann is 22 and Perreault is just 20; he played five games with the Rangers at the end of last season after turning pro following the conclusion of Boston College’s season. Neither has scored an NHL goal, and only Othmann has recorded a point; he had two assists in his 22 games on Broadway last season.

The Rangers, however, need a lot more from both players — and in short order.

Related: Are the Rangers’ offseason moves over, or is the real work just beginning?

Mike Sullivan might look to form another Kid Line

The Blueshirts have less than $800,000 salary-cap space remaining, according to Puckpedia, after taking care of offseason business, which was highlighted by the signing of free-agent defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and the re-upping of young forwards Will Cuylle, Matt Rempe, Adam Edstrom and Juuso Parssinen — along with the necessary trade of defenseman K’Andre Miller. Despite all of that, the bottom-six forward corps will again be a giant question mark going into the new season. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the third line, which has the potential to remain a season-long puzzle.

Depending on what new coach Mike Sullivan sees at training camp, the fourth line could again be a good one. Sullivan could easily stay the course set by predecessor Peter Laviolette and employ the Twin Towers alignment with Rempe and Edstrom flanking veteran center Sam Carrick. That would keep together the huge, physical trio that forechecks, battles in the corners and in front of the net, and mixes it up with opponents while setting a tone the Rangers so desperately crave.

Where Sullivan seems sure to be challenged like the coaches that preceded him on Broadway is in attempting to forge a productive third line — one with identity and purpose that can get the best of its matchups on a regular basis.

If Sullivan succeeds, it will be impressive. The assignment has amounted to a revolving door for forwards since Gerard Gallant put together the “Kid Line” of Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil late in the 2021-22 season. The Rangers haven’t come close to duplicating that level of effectiveness on their third line since.

With Othmann and Perreault in the fold, maybe Kid Line 2.0 — with Parssinen, 24, possibly in the middle — is exactly what Sullivan should be looking for from the unit this season.

In a familiar refrain, the Rangers don’t have many options to build out the line beyond their promising youth. Veteran free-agent add Taylor Raddysh doesn’t exactly generate buzz. Old friend Jonny Brodzinski is still around and is coming off a career-best 12-goal season. The hard truth, though, is that if Brodzinski is playing a significant number of games, it’s because the Blueshirts don’t have higher-level talent to take those minutes.

Othmann, who’s facing the biggest opportunity of his young career, represents one of those higher-level talent options. The 16th player taken in the 2021 NHL Draft looked good at times last season and seemed to gain confidence as his ice time increased. Even better, he plays the style that general manager Chris Drury and the front office are trying to instill throughout the organization: Othmann’s chip-on-his-shoulder, straight-ahead approach manifests itself in a player who attacks the net and pressures the puck all over the ice.

In theory, it’s his time to grab a wing spot on the third line. Rangers fans have been eagerly awaiting Othmann’s arrival as a regular since 2021-22, when he piled up 97 points in 66 games for the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League.

Othmann almost certainly won’t approach that level of production in the NHL. However, his throwback style and obvious offensive skills should give him the chance to begin making an impact this season — if, of course, he can win the job the Rangers presumably want him to win.

Related: Vincent Trocheck viewed as most likely to slot in at 3C on Rangers roster: poll

Rangers hope to see Gabe Perreault play his way into the lineup

While the Rangers wouldn’t be upset if Perreault appears better-suited to starting the season at Hartford, their AHL farm team, after training camp, they also wouldn’t be upset if he plays his way onto the big club. Perreault profiles as a future top-six forward because of his skills and offensive creativity.

Perreault might just prove ready for such an assignment as soon as this season, and if Sullivan decides to move Mika Zibanejad back to the middle from the right-wing spot he appeared to embrace late last season, Perreault could receive a training-camp audition for the plum job. More likely, though, is that the 23rd overall pick in 2023 — who many talent evaluators felt was only selected that low because of the loaded nature of that draft — could start his NHL journey by joining Othmann as part of the third-unit solution.

After all, this path has worked for the Rangers multiple times in recent years. Lafreniere eventually graduated from the third line to what became the unquestioned top unit for the 2023-24 season, teaming with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck on one of the most productive lines in the league. Lafreniere delivered 28 goals and 29 assists that season, though he took a serious step back in 2024-25 and will need to regain what looked like an upward trend to his career.

Cuylle made the leap last season after spending a good part of 2023-24 on the third line, becoming a top-six mainstay and turning in a 20-goal, 25-assist, 301-hit effort. He’s expected to remain fully ensconced on one of the top forward units again this season.

The Rangers would certainly love to see marked development from Othmann and Perreault with an eye toward the future, more or less following Cuylle’s path, but they also need it for the present. The Blueshirts’ hopes of returning to the postseason and championship contention depends in large part on whether they can match the depth of their competitors in the Eastern Conference. With their minimal cap space, it’s hard to see a realistic avenue to substantially improving their bottom six from outside the organization.

That means the kids are going to carry the weight of some pressure to produce in 2025-26. There are other potential youngsters who could make an impact, of course — Brett Berard, Noah Laba, Casey Terrance and Adam Sykora, among others, might surprise by competing for a spot on the roster at some point this season.

But Othmann and Perreault are the ones who possess the first-round pedigrees. Given that, it’s probably fair for the Rangers to begin to expect more from at least Othmann, and perhaps Perreault, sooner rather than later.

His Instagram post began by addressing the Blueshirts Faithful.

“To the Rangers fans — I’ll miss the roar of the crowd and the ‘Let’s Go Rangers’ chants that will forever echo in my mind. Your fandom is second to none.”

After thanking “the workers at MSG” and “first responders around the Garden,” Miller turned his attention to his former teammates, coaches and staff.

“To my teammates — Thank you for your support and lessons along the way. You made me a better player and person. Grateful.”

K’Andre Miller says goodbye to #NYR

📸: @ kandre.miller via Instagram pic.twitter.com/VV4scUQ7TU

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) July 17, 2025

Though he didn’t name anyone specifically, Miller was especially close to his former defense partner Jacob Trouba, who was traded last season to the Anaheim Ducks.

“To the Rangers coaches, trainers and support staff — thank you for teaching me, caring for me, and helping me. Most appreciated.”

He then singled out Rangers general manager Chris Drury and team owner James Dolan.

“Thank you for giving me my start and allowing me to live out my dream in the greatest arena in the world. Thank you.”

Related: Rangers GM ‘above board … very professional’ handling K’Andre Miller trade: agent

K’Andre Miller thanks Rangers, fans in classy farewell message

The 25-year-old defenseman played five seasons with the Rangers, who selected him with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He was traded July 1 to the Hurricanes for defenseman Scott Morrow and two premium picks in the 2026 draft — a conditional first-rounder and a second-round selection.

In the sign-and-trade deal, Miller agreed to an eight-year, $60 million contract ($7.5 million average annual value) with Carolina.

That was a deal Miller wasn’t going to get from the Rangers. Drury deemed Miller too inconsistent and mistake prone, and wasn’t comfortable investing significant term and money in the top-four defenseman.

Back on breakup day in April, Miller expressed his desire to remain in New York. He was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, two years away from becoming unrestricted. In other words, it was time for the Rangers to make a massive decision with him.

Despite Miller’s wishes, the Rangers opted to sign Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract in free agency and then trade Miller to a division rival.

Despite that, Miller exited in a classy manner, making sure to touch all the bases in his Instagram farewell message.

“Peace out NYC. Stay safe. Until we meet again.”

That next meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 4, when the Hurricanes come to Madison Square Garden in one of the must-see games on the Rangers’ 2025-26 schedule.

Miller signed an eight-year, $60 million contract, worth $7.5 million annually, after the Hurricanes acquired him in a July 1 trade with the Rangers. Defenseman Scott Morrow and two 2026 draft picks — a conditional first-rounder and a second-round selection — were acquired by the Rangers in return for the skilled, yet inconsistent 25-year-old.

On his recent NHL Wraparound podcast, Smith sounded incredulous about Miller’s expensive deal when speaking with guest Elliotte Friedman.

“But my goodness, Elliotte, these guys, like I’ve seen K Andre Miller play since he got there (in New York),” Smith ranted. “If he’s a $7 million defenseman, you know, I’m a $10 million podcaster.”

He may have been born and raised in Ontario, but Smith was straight out of New York with that dose of sarcasm.

Friedman, the NHL insider with Sportsnet, was more diplomatic with his take. He pointed out that three RFA defensemen — Miller, Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson — “benefitted from being free at the right time, and there just wasn’t a lot of players available.”

Bouchard signed a whopping four-year, $42 million extension ($10.5 million AAV) to remain with the Edmonton Oilers last week. And Dobson, a year removed from becoming an unrestricted free agent, let it be known he had no plan to sign with the Islanders long term. So, the Islanders traded Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for a pair of first-round draft picks and forward Emil Heineman, and Montreal then inked the defenseman to an eight-year, $76 million deal worth $9.5 million annually.

With those prices, it can be argued that Miller was a bargain, though you certainly can’t convince Smith of that. However, even though Smith’s the only one with a Stanley Cup championship on his resume, the opinion that matters most is that of Eric Tulsky, the Hurricanes GM.

“It’s a big price to pay, but we think he’s a great fit for our system,” Tulsky explained. “You hear me talk a lot about how hard our scouting department works to identify players who will fit. He was one of them.”

Related: Rangers GM ‘above board … very professional’ handling K’Andre Miller trade: agent

Neil Smith raised important question about Rangers deal with Vladislav Gavrikov

There was one other topic that got Smith riled up on the podcast he co-hosts with Vic Morren.

Tampering.

In reviewing how quickly deals get done immediately after the 12 Noon ET start of free agency on July 1, Smith was again incredulius.

“So I want to ask you and talk to you about another thing that that just drives me nuts,” Smith said Friedman. “Maybe you can explain this to me too, and that is tampering. And you know, [Mitch] Marner, come on, there had to be tampering by Vegas on Marner, and I got to say that, unless Chris Drury is an absolute magician, and he’s like the Evelyn Wood of negotiating — how did he get a deal done in an hour and 15 minutes with Gavrikov?”

To be fair, Smith’s far from the first person to question the ethics and bending of the rules when it comes to NHL free agency. But, again, Friedman had a rational take, at least as far as the Rangers deal with Gavrikov was concerned.

“So, this is another great question,” he said. “But one of the reasons I think the Rangers were able to do Gavrikov so quickly, is I think they were working on a sign and trade with the [Los Angeles] Kings. Now, obviously that didn’t happen, but you know, there’s something for you. I do think a sign and trade nearly happened, so that Gavrikov could get that eighth year.”

Of course, if the sides were working on a sign and trade, there would’ve been interaction allowed between the Rangers and Gavrikov. So, Drury and Co. would know exactly what could work on July 1 even though the early sign and trade fell through.

Ultimately, Gavrikov signed quickly after free agency started, agreeing to a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Rangers, worth $7 million per season. Though the 29-year-old is older than Miller, Bouchard and Dobson, his deal very likely could end up as the best bargain of the day, though time will tell how it looks down the road once Gavrikov plays into his 30s.

After his heavy-handed approach to removing Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba from the roster, not to mention the trade memo to the 31 others GMs that named Chris Kreider and leaked publicly in November, Drury was as much to blame as anyone for one of the most disappointing seasons in Rangers history.

The issue was not that Drury felt the need to turn over the roster and also create space under the salary cap. That’s his job and those are his business decisions. It’s more how he miscalculated the effect on the team, when he forced those two respected veterans out of town, and the lack of communication with all those involved.

Drury’s turned over a new leaf this summer, though. After being praised by Kreider’s camp for communicating with them every step of the way and including them in the process before consummating a trade with the Anaheim Ducks in June, Drury received similar kudos from K’Andre Miller’s agent after his client was traded last week to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Ian Pulver told the PuckPedia podcast that Drury “was completely above board the whole time with the Miller situation, and very professional.”

That’s a mouthful, considering Pulver also represents Goodrow, who was furious last summer when the Rangers worked around his no-trade clause by placing him on waivers with an agreement that the San Jose Sharks would claim him. Drury only informed Goodrow’s camp of the move shortly before he was officially placed on waivers. The Sharks, who were on the veteran forward’s no-trade list, did claim him.

Related: GM Chris Drury takes blame for Rangers mess after firing coach Peter Laviolette: ‘It starts with me’

K’Andre Miller agent says ‘one thing led to another’ with Rangers before trade with Hurricanes

As for the Miller trade last week, Pulver noted that Drury was in constant communication with him. And the dominoes began to fall when the Rangers officially signed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract at the start of NHL free agency. That was a pretty clear message that there wasn’t much of a path for Miller, a restricted free agent seeking a long-term commitment, to remain with the Rangers.

“[Drury] was unsure whether he wanted to do a long-term deal, and so one thing led to another,” Pulver explained. “Miller’s contract was up, and at seven o’clock the night before July 1, unrestricted free agency, group two free agents are able to speak to some teams about possibilities. There were several teams that reached out and, you know, as the night went into the morning and the morning turned to noontime … [Drury] ended up, you know, signing [Gavrikov] to a long-term deal. Another left-shot D-man. And it became clear that Miller would either be a short-term Ranger or sign — or elicit an offer sheet somewhere else.”

Pulver said teams reached out to him about Miller, but it quickly became clear that the Hurricanes were serious about trying to land the 25-year-old defenseman, though they didn’t have the requisite 2026 third-round pick to include as part of the compensation package for the Rangers. So, the teams worked out a trade instead.

“The Hurricanes stepped to the plate, expressed interest, and then they had to construct a deal with the Rangers, which got done,” Miller’s agent said. “In the meantime, you know, discussions were going on with the Hurricanes to discuss parameters of a contract. And one thing led to another, and K’Andre Miller is now a Carolina Hurricane.”

The Hurricanes sent defenseman Scott Morrow to the Rangers along with a 2026 first-round draft pick and a second-rounder, as well, next year. They then signed Miller to an eight-year, $60 million contract ($7.5 million average annual value) — a whopping deal that Drury and the Rangers never considered.

Since the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs ended, Drury and the Rangers have traded or moved on from 13 players who helped them win the 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy and reach the Eastern Conference Final that spring: Goodrow, Trouba, Kreider and Miller, as well as forwards Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, Jack Roslovic, Jimmy Vesey, Alexander Wennberg, and Blake Wheeler, and defensemen Ryan Lindgren, Erik Gustafsson, and Zac Jones.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s – uh — gosh, to play it back … I mean, it turned into a bit of a whirlwind,” Pulver said. “Having said that, you know, it became more and more clear that the Rangers were kind of going through an overhaul in the last two years – to some degree, starting with my current client, but former Ranger, Barclay Goodrow.”