The offseason is in full swing. Managers across the board are getting contract extensions done and preparing for the upcoming draft. Every team is a particular team to watch for. The Winnipeg Jets are going to be a hot commodity in the trade department. However, one team who will be one to watch is the New York Rangers. Most particularly the K’Andre Miller contract.
The Importance Of A Miller Contract
Why He Is Worth The Pay
K’Andre Miller is such a special talent. He is an efficient skater and a smooth puck mover. Miller has shown promise at both ends of the ice and has established himself as a promising defenseman. With each passing season, Miller has made strides in improving his game. But the biggest takeaway was how he is coming off a career season.
Miller finished the year with nine goals, 34 assists, and 43 assists. This was more than double the number of points he finished with last season. Plus he has doubled his goal total from his rookie season. Not to mention two of his nine goals were game-winners. He had the second-highest point total among defensemen, and his 5.9 expected goals were third among defensemen. It is a huge plus that he managed to score well above his expected rate.
Defensively, Miller was a fine player. He had the second most takeaways on the roster and was deployed in the defensive zone for 12% of his shifts. Miller was heavily reliable defensively. In fact, he spent 142 minutes on the penalty kill. Miller managed one point but he had six takeaways and was an efficient penalty killer. He also brought a physical edge following his captain’s lead. His 162 hits ranked him third on the team.
Miller brings a lot to the table and is worth the contract extension.
Projected Contract
The K’Andre Miller projected contract situation has its challenges. Miller is a young defenseman who is coming off a career year. In addition, defensemen have signed hefty contracts this summer. For reference, Damon Severson signed an eight-year contract with an AAV of $6.250. Hampus Lindholm signed an extension last year with an AAV of $6.5 million. Or for a better comparison, Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames. In January of 2020, Andersson signed a six-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million per season. At the time of the contract, Andersson was just establishing himself in the league. Andersson was showing promise in his two-way game. His offence was there as well as being defensively efficient. The year he signed the contract, Andersson scored five goals and 22 points. Since then, he has eclipsed 50 and 49 points respectively.
Defenceman Player Card: Rasmus Andersson
We should be talking more about Andersson. This season he solidified himself as a top-pairing quality two-way defenceman with a particular aptitude for defensive play. He hasn't quite figured out his new special teams role yet. #Flames pic.twitter.com/CF9rhzHwfm
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) April 5, 2020
While Andersson is a fine player, so is Miller. When it comes to production, Miller has Andersson beat. Once Miller broke into the league he has been a full-time starter. In addition, Miller has gotten better with each passing season. His first three seasons have seen him display point totals of 12, 20, and a career year this year. Miller scored nine goals, 34 assists, and 43 points. Andersson saw his first three years of 19 and 21 points.
But while the offence leans in the favour of Miller, here is how they look defensively. The year that Andersson signed his contract, he finished the year with 60.67 expected goals against. In addition, he went on to have just 19 takeaways and 39 giveaways. Scoring chances were in the team’s favour when he was on the ice as well. True promises in his game that warranted the new deal.
Defensive Metrics
K'Andre Miller has developed into one of the league's most effective young defensive defencemen. #NYR https://t.co/tIY2g8ured pic.twitter.com/HGOrzeiNpL
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) December 24, 2022
Defensively, Miller was an awesome player for the Rangers. He finished second on the team in takeaways (61) but also turned the puck over (68 giveaways). One area that is notably different was his expected goals against. When on the ice, he finished with 85.12 expected goals against. That is never ideal, but the team as a whole was chasing the game more than controlling it.
These players are similar at the time of their extension dates. Miller has a better offensive output, but Andersson has emerged as a deeper threat. Both are just as good defensively as they are offensively. Given the money situation with New York, a similar long-term deal makes sense.
Projected Contract: Six Years; $5 million per season
The Reality Of The Contract Situation
The fate of the New York Rangers’ blue line hinges on the K’Andre Miller contract. Miller has shown improvements and his ceiling on both ends of the ice is high. However, this is where things get extremely tricky. The New York Rangers currently have $11 million in cap space. Not to mention, Alexis Lafreniere also needs a new contract. Other holes on the roster need to be filled, but this is the top priority.
Miller is a top-four defenseman who averages over 20 minutes a night. Not to mention he is coming off a career year. But given the salary cap situation, it does remain to be seen how things play out. Does he take a two-year bridge deal? Or is he able to carve out a longer-term deal at the right price?
The issue with a bridge deal is say it is for two years, and he then becomes an unrestricted free agent. The worst-case scenario is Miller wants to test the market to get a fair value of his worth. Chris Drury has his work cut out for him to be able to keep his young promising defensemen in the fold.
Main Photo: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
