K’Andre Miller’s game-tying goal with less than a second left in regulation Thursday night sent the Garden into a madhouse.
Drowned out by the noise of 18,006 fans losing their collective minds was the sound of K’Andre Miller’s price tag going up.
The Rangers defenseman, who turns 23 next week, is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. After a slow start to this season, he has come alive of late, with his wild game-tying goal in Thursday’s eventual 2-1 overtime win against the Stars just the latest feat during a strong run for Miller.
“The talent’s there, [and] when he’s playing with confidence, it’s scary,” fellow blueliner Adam Fox said. “He’s a big, fast kid. I can’t speak to that, but when he puts it all together like that, it’s fun to watch. So obviously, he’s blossoming into a real good defenseman and a key contributor for us — like you’ve seen the past few games — but I don’t think it’s new to us. We’ve seen it from last year to now. He’s an important player for us, and the sky’s the limit.”
There may be a limit on what kind of deal the Rangers can offer Miller, who is joined by Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil as key pending restricted free agents with the team’s cap space limited. The Rangers currently have a projected $16,069,642 in cap space for next season, according to CapFriendly, with 14 players under contract.
Miller, who is playing on a $925,000 cap hit this season, does not yet have arbitration rights, but he is letting his recent play do the talking.
After recording only eight points — all assists — through his first 26 games, Miller has notched 15 points on five goals and 10 assists over the last 17 games, including a five-game point streak.
“It’s been something I’ve been trying to implement in my game over the years,” Miller said of his offensive progression. “I know what kind of player I can be. I know I can produce and shut down at the same time. It’s just a matter of believing in that and bringing that same attitude every game.”
Miller has been a top-four defenseman throughout his three seasons in the NHL and is now averaging a career-high 22:16 of ice time. The offensive side of his game has long been seen in spurts, but he is beginning to show it more consistently and playing a key role for a Rangers team that is 13-2-2 over its last 17 games — a stretch that just so happens. to coincide with Miller’s offensive outburst.
“He’s been outstanding,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “He played really well last year, and again, he’s just taken another step. That’s what he does for us. Great young kid, great player, and he comes to play hard every night.”
The Rangers locked up Fox to be the cornerstone on their blue line in November 2021, signing him to a seven-year, $66.5 million extension that went into effect this season after he finished his entry-level contract.
In May 2021, after defenseman Ryan Lindgren’s entry-level contract expired, the Rangers signed him to a three-year, $9 million bridge deal.
Soon, they will be tasked with finding the right number to extend Miller, too, and keep him a vital part of their young defensive core.
“I remember playing against him last year, especially in the playoffs, he was really hard to play against,” center Vincent Trocheck said. “Really good player. You could tell he was going to be special. This year, he’s stepping up in some big ways, obviously scoring some big goals for us but playing well on the defensive side of the puck too.”
- K’Andre Miller, set to be a restricted free agent after the season, is playing his way into a big payday. Here’s a look at how some of the top young offensive defensemen in the NHL have fared in landing their second contracts after their entry-level deals expired:
- Adam Fox, Rangers (age 24, fourth NHL season, 44 points in 2022-23): Fox won the Norris Trophy in 2020-21 and has already cashed in with a seven-year, $66.5 million deal that is eating up a chunk of the Rangers’ cap space.
- Cale Makar, Avalanche (age 24, fourth NHL season, 39 points): Makar paid instant dividends on the six-year, $54 million contract he signed in July 2021, leading Colorado to the Stanley Cup title by winning both the Norris and Conn Smythe. trophies last season.
- Rasmus Dahlin, Sabers (age 22, fifth NHL season, 47 points): The former top overall pick in 2018 has lived up to his draft status and earned a three-year, $18 million contract in September 2021.
- Quinn Hughes, Canucks (age 23, fifth NHL season, 36 points): The brother of the Devils’ Jack immediately became an offensive contributor in his first full season, finishing as the Calder Trophy runner-up to Makar, then landed a six- year, $47.1 million extension in October 2021.
- Miro Heiskanen, Stars (age 23, fifth NHL season, 31 points): After playing out his entry-level contract, Heiskanen inked an eight-year, $67.6 million deal with the Stars just a week before Makar got his extension.
- Noah Dobson, Islanders (age 23, fourth NHL season, 23 points): Dobson was in a similar spot last summer to what Miller will be this summer, but the Islanders struck a bridge deal to keep him on a three-year, $12 million contract. contract.
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