The first major domino of the New York Rangers' offseason has fallen as they sent Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks. This is a franchise-altering move as Kreider was the longest-tenured Ranger, having been with the team since the 2012-13 season. While heartbreaking for fans, it's a move that had to be made to free up cap space. With that move behind them, the Rangers can turn their attention to other areas.
While there are many potential routes the Rangers can go down, it is unknown what is likliest to be next. They can try and find a potential suitor for Kreider's best friend, Mika Zibanejad. They could also shift their attention to the draft and decide whether or not to keep the 12th overall pick. However, it appears the next move the Rangers want to make is trading K'Andre Miller. Here's why the Rangers want to move the young defenseman and where he could potentially end up.
Why the Rangers are going to trade K'Andre Miller
Miller is coming off his second straight season of regression. In 74 games, Miller recorded seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points. This is a far cry from the 43-point season he had back in the 2022-23 season. While he's shown flashes of being an elite NHL defender, he's never been able to put it all together. The past few seasons it has felt like the Rangers were waiting for a breakout that's never going to come.
The negatives of Miller's game have far outweighed the positives as well. He committed 97 turnovers last season, with some of them being so bad you had to wonder what he was even thinking. With the Rangers having lots of problems on their blue line, they can't afford to have Miller develop his game on the fly. If the Blueshirts want to return to the playoffs, they need defenders who won't constantly turn the puck over and who don't go through such big ups and downs.
It's also the perfect time for the Rangers to move Miller. He's currently a restricted free agent and is expected to get a big contract. While Miller has struggled, he still has a ton of upside. That upside, combined with him being only 25 and the major increase in the salary cap, he should get somewhere between $6 million to $7 million annually. That is a contract that is just not worth it for the Rangers. It makes more sense to move him and try to get pieces that better fit the current roster.
There are several teams that could be interested, however the most likely landing spot would be the Kings or Red Wings. The Kings have been looking for a young defenseman making them a suitable option for Miller. The Red Wings are a fringe playoff team with a need at defense. The hope would be that the a change of scenery is all Miller needs to unlock his full potential. Regardless of where he ends up, the one place he won't be on open night is the Rangers locker room.