Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller signs two-year contract extension
Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller skates with the puck against the Golden Knights in the first period of an NHL game at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 27. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Rangers general manager Chris Drury took care of perhaps the biggest remaining item on his summer to-do list Tuesday when the team announced it had agreed to a two-year contract extension with restricted free agent defenseman K’Andre Miller.
The deal, according to a person with knowledge of the details, is worth $3.872 million annually, a team-friendly number for a top-four defenseman that should leave Drury enough space under the $83.5 million salary cap to re-sign forward Alexis Lafrenière, the team’s last remaining unsigned RFA.
According to CapFriendly, with Miller signed, the Rangers’ payroll adds up to roughly $81.2 million, including eight defensemen. Removing Connor Mackey’s $775,000 salary brings the number down to $80.42 million, which would leave roughly $3.08 million available to sign Lafrenière, the first pick overall in the 2020 NHL draft.
Lafrenière, who had 16 goals and 39 points in 2022-23, figures to get a two-year deal comparable to the pacts signed by his Kid Line linemates the last two summers. Filip Chytil signed a two-year contract worth an average salary of $2.3 million in 2021, and Kaapo Kakko signed a two-year deal that averaged $2.1 million in 2022.
Miller, 23, the second of three first-round picks by the Rangers in 2018 (No. 22 overall), established career-highs in goals (nine), assists (34) and points (43) in 2022-23. He was the second-highest scoring defenseman on the team, behind Fox. Miller also was second to Fox in average ice time at 21:57 per game.
All season long, Miller politely deflected questions about his impending free agency.
“I don't really think about it too much,’’ he told Newsday in February. “Obviously, I knew it was a contract year going into this year, but I don't think it has really crept into my game, really too much at all. I’m just trying to stay in the moment and control what I can control day by day, and just set myself up for the end of the year as best I can.’’
A native of St. Paul, Minn., the 6-5, 215-pound Miller likely could have commanded a much bigger salary on a longer-term contract, but taking a short-term deal for less money not only helps the cap-strapped Rangers out now, but also allows him to potentially cash in big in 2025, when he becomes a restricted free agent again at age 25. The salary cap is expected to rise significantly between now and then, and Miller – whose 61 takeaways in 2022-23 were fifth-most among NHL defensemen – could be in for a massive raise.
When Drury spoke to the media July 1, he was asked about what he thought of Miller as a player and what he meant to the Rangers.
“We think the world of K'Andre,’’ Drury said. “He's extremely talented. Terrific young player. He's been with the organization since the [2018] draft and we hope he's here for a long, long time.’’
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
More Rangers
