It looks like K’Andre Miller will be making history

K’Andre Miller will join a select group of New York Rangers defensemen if he makes the starting lineup

K’Andre Miller looks like he is about to win the job as Jacob Trouba‘s partner on the first defense pairing for the New York Rangers.  After turning pro in March and practicing with the team at the Stanley Cup Qualifier training camp, Miller has consistently impressed the Rangers’ brain trust.

Now, he appears to be the front runner for the role of Jacob Trouba’s defense partner and the Rangers are promoting him on Twitter.

If Miller is in the starting lineup, he will be a few days shy of his 21st birthday and that will put him in some select company.

Rangers defensemen younger than 21

Since 1979, only ten Rangers defensemen have made their debuts before they turned 21.  Only four of them did that at the start of a season by winning a role with the team in training camp.

The last to do it was Tim Erixon who made the team in 2011-12 at age 20 years, 225 days and started the season on the NHL roster.  He only lasted 18 games before being sent to the AHL where he finished the season.  He was sent to Columbus the next summer in the trade for Rick Nash.

Michael Del Zotto made the team in 2010-11 at the age of 19 years, 100 days.  He played the entire season with the Rangers,making the jump directly from the London Knights of the OHL. Del Zotto did find himself in the AHL briefly in his sophomore year, but stuck with the team until his trade to Nashville for Kevin Klein.

Before Del Zotto there was Marc Staal who joined the Rangers in October 2007 at the age of 20 years, 264 days.  He played 80 games in his inaugural season after being selected 12th overall in the 2005 draft.  He made the NH Ldirectly  from the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL a year after he was drafted.

The only other rookie to make the team out of camp before turning 21 is Terry Carkner who won a job in 1986-87 after being drafted 14th overall in the first round in 1984.  While Carkner spent most of the season in New York, he did have a stint in New Haven.