Just one year after K'Andre Miller was traded from the New York Rangers to the Carolina Hurricanes, he became a Stanley Cup champion.
On Sunday night, Miller and the Hurricanes played one of the best playoff hockey games in recent memory and beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0. That was the Hurricanes' second Cup win in franchise history. And this one comes exactly 20 years after the first one they won in 2006.
Miller, 26, was a part of an offseason sign-and-trade that left a lot of people scratching their heads. Why would the Rangers decide to part with a 26-year-old who fits in their long-term plans? Well, for whatever reason, they did, and now he is a Stanley Cup champion.
K'Andre Miller was a perfect fit on the Canes' blue line
When the Rangers and Hurricanes announced that they had completed the trade, it felt like Miller was going to be a perfect fit in Rod Brind'Amour's system. He can play physically, but he can also skate and move the puck. That fits well with the likes of Jaccob Slavin, Shayne Gostisbhere, and Sean Walker.
It created two very strong, very mobile defense pairings instantly. That was before anyone even got to see it in action. Now, we are 101 games into his tenure in Carolina, and everyone can see just how good of a pickup Miller actually was.
In the regular season, he had eight goals and 29 assists for 37 points in 72 games. Just six points off his career-high that he set back in 2022-23. In the playoffs, he didn't register a goal and had nine assists in 19 games.
Despite not finding the scoresheet a lot in the playoffs, he did the little things right. He played hard and shut down the opponents' top lines. But most importantly, he was a part of a Hurricanes team that went 16-3 in the playoffs. This includes two back-to-back sweeps, beating both the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers in the first two rounds.
It is bittersweet to watch as a Rangers fan. They watched Miller grow up within their organization. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to accomplish this feat as a member of the Rangers. And while that is a tough pill to swallow, it is nice to see him win in his first year with his new club.
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