Rangers Trade Young Defenseman to Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired defenseman K'Andre Miller from the New York Rangers, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.

Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic adds that the Hurricanes are also working on an extension for the restricted free agent.

Miller, 25, has been a fixture on the Rangers' blue line since his rookie season in 2020-21. The St. Paul, Minnesota, native appeared in 368 games for the Blueshirts, scoring 36 goals and 132 points while averaging 21:27 of ice time. He also has three goals and 12 points in 43 playoff games.

Unfortunately, this season was a tough one for the young defenseman, as it was for most of his Rangers teammates. His seven goals and 27 points were each his fewest in a season since 2021-22, while his rating of zero was the worst of his career.

Despite that, Miller is still a capable two-way defenseman with high upside, and he's only now entering his prime.

Carolina seems like a great fit for Miller, all things considered. The Hurricanes have a strong defensive system under head coach Rod Brind'Amour, a stark contrast to the Rangers' spotty defense over the past few years. They also have some holes to fill on the blue line, so Miller should have plenty of opportunities to shine.