The New York Rangers had a difficult season in 2024-25. After a blazing hot start, the club hit rock bottom pretty fast. Players like K’Andre Miller and Chris Kreider did not meet preseason expectations throughout the year. Moreover, drama on and off the ice caused friction throughout the organization, and they missed the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Rangers have some work to do this offseason. More importantly, they have a decision to make. Do they try to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs again in 2026? Or do they start selling pieces off and prioritizing adding youthful energy to the roster?
It’s hard to imagine this team blowing up over the summer. But they could make some hockey trades to retool on the fly. And according to The Athletic’s Harman Dayal, Miller could become a trade candidate as a result.
“Two years ago, Miller looked like one of the most promising young defensemen in the NHL, scoring 43 points and eating huge top-four minutes as a 23-year-old. He unfortunately stagnated in 2023-24, and took a clear step back this season,” Dayal wrote of the Rangers defenseman.
K’Andre Miller Needs a New Contract
Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesNew York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller is a restricted free agent on July 1.
One factor that makes a Miller trade a possibility is his contract status. The Rangers defenseman is a restricted free agent this summer. He is arbitration-eligible, but a contract is in the best interest of both sides. Especially if they wish to avoid this situation next summer.
What Miller will command in a new contract is unknown. However, the projections are quite costly, especially for a team in New York’s situation. Evolving Hockey projects the 23-year-old to sign a four-year contract worth $5.9 million a season.
The Rangers could have issues meeting this demand. They are projected to have just $8.4 million in available cap space, according to PuckPedia. New York has to negotiate new contracts with the likes of Matt Rempe, Brett Berard, and Will Cuylle this offseason in addition to Miller.
There is a chance the team clears out cap space through trade. Still, the Rangers may decide moving Miller is worth their while. They can recoup some assets that can help them in other areas. And they will have one less player to worry about re-signing.
The Case for Rangers Keeping Miller
Of course, any decision made in the NHL is not straightforward. There are a lot of factors at play. This rings especially true when it comes to young players early in their careers. Dayal mentioned a few factors that could lead New York to keep Miller around.
The first factor is the left side of the blueline. New York has little depth at the position. This became more exaggerated when the team traded Ryan Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
Moreover, New York has a new head coach. Mike Sullivan is the bench boss after departing the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has two Stanley Cup championships to his name and is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the league. Seeing what Miller can do in Sullivan’s system could be worth it, according to Dayal.
“It’d be risky to give up on Miller without first seeing what a new Mike Sullivan-led coaching staff and system could do for his game. It’s probably not a coincidence that almost every Rangers defenseman, (Adam) Fox included, underperformed under Peter Laviolette and Phil Housley this season,” Dayal wrote for The Athletic.
Again, this is far from straightforward. There are a lot of things that can change over these next few weeks and months. Still, Rangers fans should keep an eye on this situation as it unfolds this summer.
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