The New York Rangers are a team on the rise. With so many young players, the Rangers need to identify which players will be the most important for the future. I think one player stands out from the rest of the freshly stocked farm system.
The New York Rangers are a team in flux. The roster has been injected with young talent in the last few years through some savvy trades and draft selections. This season some of the European prospects will make their way to North America.
Two of the Rangers’ most highly touted prospects are included in that bunch. Forward Vitali Kravtsov was drafted number nine overall in the 2018 draft and impressed in his post-draft KHL season. He posted numbers that rivaled some of the NHL’s great Russian players’ teenage KHL careers.
The other main European prospect who is making his way over is fellow Russian Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin, a netminder, has been dominating the KHL for seasons now. He finishes his current KHL career with a 88-25-15 record, a glimmering 0.933 SV%, and an incredibly low 1.70 GAA.
However, I’m not crowning either of these two as the most important Ranger down the line. As the Rangers have experienced in recent years, no matter how good a team’s goaltenders or forwards are, the defense has to perform for the team to survive. As such, I believe K’Andre Miller to be the most important player for the Rangers in the long-term.
The Rangers are beginning to have a logjam on the back end, but Miller stands out as a true blue chip prospect that can anchor a blueline. A few things stand out about Miller.
On-Ice Measureables
I know that a player’s size doesn’t dictate how well they’ll perform, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. As just a college freshman, Miller stands six feet and three inches tall and weighs in at 198 lbs. However, it’s not just the fact that he is big, it’s more about how he uses that size.
Miller is already adept at using his size to his advantage on the ice. He outmuscles opposing forwards with ease, usually stopping attacks at his own blueline. His long stick allows him to cut down angles and break up odd man rushes efficiently, as well.
Miller’s size lends itself well to another major aspect of his game. His long legs give him a powerful stride and allow him to get up and down the ice in a flash. Today’s NHL is a fast game and Rangers’ head coach David Quinn has his team play an extremely high-tempo style.
Miller doesn’t just play defense though. He’s an intelligent player who knows when to join the rush. In his first season with Wisconsin, Miller posted five goals and 17 assists in only 26 games, and he could have scored more. Miller suffered a season ending knee injury in February, missing the last six regular season games and the Big Ten playoffs.
Off-Ice Personality
In every one of his interviews following the draft, Miller oozes leadership qualities. He immediately carved out a leadership role with the University of Wisconsin squad, leading by example and having great success as just a freshman. His coaches have given stellar reviews about both his skill on ice and impact off of the ice.
“… As a coach, when you recruit, you’re looking for character to go along with the skill, and when you think you find one of those guys, you get real excited. Well, he’s lived up to it and gone beyond on what he has meant to us in the locker room and in our group as far as what he brings to the table. He’s special… ,” said University of Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato just this January.
To truly become the leader of a team, a player should be able to command a locker room as well as perform on the ice. I think K’Andre Miller has all of the necessary attributes to fit the bill for the Rangers. That being said, he still hasn’t been signed to an entry-level contract, so it may be a few years before we see him step onto the Garden ice.