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The New York Rangers are making massive changes to their blue line as free agency opens. They started by giving Vladislav Gavrikov a seven-year deal worth $7 million per season. Minutes later, the Rangers sent 25-year-old defenseman K'Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in a trade. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was among the insiders to break the news.
“Hearing NYR working on sending K'Andre Miller to Carolina,” Friedman reported. TSN's Chris Johnston reported the same.
Friedman came back hours later, saying this would be a sign-and-trade. “Hearing this will be a sign & trade between the Rangers and the Hurricanes. Miller contract will come in at 8 years, $60M.” New York Post reporter Larry Brooks then confirmed the return, “Rangers are getting conditional first [round pick] and second plus right defenseman Scott Morrow from Canes in exchange for K'Andre Miller, Post has been told,” Brooks reported.
Morrow is a defenseman who went to the University of Massachusetts and was drafted in the second round in 2021. He has only played 16 NHL games, but is a promising young defenseman.
The Rangers drafted Miller 22nd overall in the 2018 NHL Draft. After a disastrous season across the board, new coach Mike Sullivan and GM Chris Drury are making wholesale changes to the blue line. That includes Miller, who goes to a division rival in the Hurricanes.
Miller joins a Hurricanes blue line that is also undergoing massive renovations this summer. Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov are free agents, and Miller is much younger than those two players. With Jaccob Slavin as one of the elite defenders in the league, they can bring Miller in to add some offense to their blue line.
The Rangers sign-and-trade K'Andre Miller to the Hurricanes
Miller is a restricted free agent who needs a new contract. Even after giving Logan Stankoven a lengthy extension earlier in the day, Carolina has the space to sign Miller. They have five first-round picks over the next three years, so Drury drove a hard bargain.
The Rangers already traded Chris Kreider this offseason and could make more moves to change their team. After such a bad season, Sullivan and Drury know changes have to be made. While the free-agency pool is pretty thin, New York could make trades to improve the team.
ClutchPoints' Tristin McKinstry is tracking every move all day long. Follow along for everything from the Rangers to the Hurricanes and everything in between.
