Needing a short-term solution, the New York Rangers found one Tuesday when they agreed to a two-year extension for defenseman K'Andre Miller.
The Rangers announced they signed Miller, 23, to a two-year contract carrying a $3.872 million average annual value in each season. Finding a new deal for Miller was one of the offseason priorities as the top-four defenseman was a restricted free agent who was in need of a new deal.
A first-round pick in 2018, Miller came to the Rangers with the expectations that he could be part of the group of prospects who could help them return to playoff contention with the eventual goal of winning a Stanley Cup.
What the former University of Wisconsin star did in the 2022-23 season amplified those expectations with the strongest campaign of his career. He finished with nine goals and 43 points while averaging 21:57 in ice time over 79 games. Entering last season, Miller had a combined career 32 points in his first 135 games.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Miller led the Rangers in 5-on-5 ice time while logging the third-most time by a defenseman on a penalty kill that finished 13th with an 81.2% success rate.
Everything Miller, who was in the final season of his rookie contract, accomplished created questions about what his next deal would look like for a Stanley Cup contender needing to manage its cap space. By signing Miller to a two-year bridge deal, both he and the Rangers have an extension should the time come for a long-term deal ahead of when Miller becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
Re-signing Miller is the latest move in an active offseason that saw the Rangers sign veterans Nick Bonino, Jonathan Quick and Blake Wheeler, along with Erik Gustafsson, when free agency opened July 1.
Getting a deal done for Miller leaves winger Alexis Lafreniere as the only RFA on the Rangers' roster in need of a new contract. CapFriendly projects the Rangers have $2.3 million in available cap space to re-sign Lafreniere, the No. 1 pick of the 2020 NHL draft.