NY Rangers projected lineup: K'Andre Miller motivated by 'push' for new contract

Some athletes prefer to block out any talk or thoughts about their contract status as they approach free agency, but K'Andre Miller isn't shying away from it.

The 22-year-old defenseman understands that what he does this season will have a major impact on what he can command from the New York Rangers this summer − and he's using that as motivation.

"Everyone knows what this year means for me and my career and my family – everyone I’ve been through this journey with," he said following Wednesday's practice at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown. "It’s something you've been working for your whole life, and for it to be so close, it’s just that last push before (restricted free agency). That's been in the back of my mind – way back of my mind – but I don't think it's been anything that I've been caught up on or hung up on."

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If Miller continues his current trajectory, the contract details will take care of themselves.

He's riding a four-game point streak into Thursday's 7 p.m. home game against the Dallas Stars, notching six points (two goals and four assists) in that span. Of his 22 points this season, 18 have come in the last 24 games, a clear sign that his immense talent is manifesting into offensive production.

New York Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, at Madison Square Garden in New York.

A perfect example came in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout win over his hometown Minnesota Wild.

At the beginning of the second period, Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey poked the puck away from Matt Boldy, creating a three-person race between Miller, Boldy and Wild defenseman Jon Merrill. Both Boldy and Merrill began closer to the loose puck, but a few effortless strides from Miller was all it took to split the Minnesota teammates and pounce.

He calmly finished the breakaway with a quick-snap forehand, redirecting momentum into the Blueshirts' corner after they had fallen into a 2-0 hole.

"He obviously has all the ability to do that and make the play," D partner Jacob Trouba said. "He's been jumping."

While the skill is starting to pop, with the increase in points sure to help his cause in the coming negotiations, Miller emphasizes that his primary responsibilities come on the other end of the ice.

"I take special pride in my defense," he said. "Having a good stick and being reliable in the D zone and making quick, smart plays with the puck."

That's where the results have been tougher to evaluate.

If you breakdown individual goals, there are myriad reasons why so many have been given up with Miller and Trouba on the ice. But the fact remains that they rank worst among all NHL defensive pairs with 34 goals against this season, according to Natural Stat Trick.

"You get to game 20 or 30 or whatever and you're looking at stats, and obviously we weren't doing too hot," he said. "But I think we've done a pretty good job of turning that narrative around and bringing a little bit more defensively for our team."

The numbers do show subtle improvements.

After the Miller-Trouba pair allowed an average of 0.86 goals per game through the Rangers' first 22 contests, it's dipped slightly to 0.75 in the last 20. A deeper look reveals that back-to-back bad games − Jan. 1 at Florida and Jan. 3 against Carolina − skewed the average significantly. In the other 18 games since Nov. 28, their average goals against has been 0.61.

The overall body of work still isn't satisfactory − "I wasn’t happy with it, and I don’t think he was, either," Trouba said − but the captain hasn't seen Miller become passive or put any undue pressure on himself under the trying circumstances.

"It’s natural for any player, any person, to go up and down a little bit," Trouba said. "But I think he stays pretty even keel. I don't think he's ever really pulled back or not (been aggressive). When the opportunity is there, he'll take it."

Those opportunities come in the form of joining the offensive rush, or using his 6-foot-5 frame to create turnovers.

Trouba still marvels at Miller's ability to recover in situations when most defensemen would be beat, as evidenced by his 33 takeaways so far this season.

"It took a bit to learn that, if a guy is pivoting, he has the reach to get (the puck) still, so you don't have to come over and shade or try to help as much," he said. "It took a couple of times seeing it to say, ‘Alright, he gets that guy.’ Along the wall, he has a great stick, big reach and big stride. He kills a lot of plays in the D zone and he transitions up the ice."

Those opportunistic "wow" plays have been occurring on a nightly basis.

He's still learning some nuances, but few can match Miller's combination of size, speed, skill and poise. That's why many scouts believe his upside could make him one of the best all-around defensemen in the NHL.

Those tools have been showing up increasingly in the past month, but the soon-to-be 23-year-old (his birthday is Jan. 21) views his evolution as a gradual and ongoing march.

"I just feel I've been adding a little bit to my game since my first year," he said. "It's been steady progress. I'm getting closer to the player that I kind of envisioned myself to be. I’m being given the opportunities a little bit more and maybe a little bit longer leash, at times. But it's all learning and all just getting better day by day."

That's a scary thought for the rest of the league − and, perhaps, for those who manage the Rangers' salary cap.

Just two-and-a-half years after making the jump straight from his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin to the NHL, Miller is being leaned on heavily. He ranks second on the team behind Norris Trophy candidate Adam Fox with an average of 22:13 time on ice per game and appears poised for a big second half.

The absolute floor for his next contract is the three-year bridge deal for an average annual value of $3 million that the Rangers gave fellow defenseman Ryan Lindgren in 2021, but the prevailing belief is Miller will land more money and years. He'll likely fall short of the $6 million AAV the Buffalo Sabres gave their young star defenseman, Rasmus Dahlin, but something in the $4 million-to-$5 million range seems well within reason.

Much of that will depend on what happens in the next few months. That's a reality that Miller isn't hiding from, but rather using as fuel.

"At the beginning of the year, I wasn't really thinking about it at all," he said. "It's been creeping in a little bit more, I guess, as the season has been going on. Obviously, I'm really excited for that time, for me and my family. But I’m just trying to stay present and control what I can control in the moment right now. That’s the biggest thing – doing what I can to help this team win and succeed."

New York Rangers' K'Andre Miller (79) celebrates with Ben Harpur (5) and Chris Kreider (20) after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, in New York. The Rangers won 5-3. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NY Rangers (23-12-7) projected lineup: Game 43 vs. Dallas Stars (25-11-6)

When: Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.

Where: Madison Square Garden

TV/Radio: MSG Network/ESPN 98.7 FM

Forwards

Top line ⊳ Alexis Lafrenière (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)

Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Vitali Kravtsov (RW)

Third line ⊳ Jimmy Vesey (LW) ⋄ Filip Chytil (C) ⋄ Barclay Goodrow (RW)

Fourth line ⊳ Sammy Blais (LW) ⋄ Jonny Brodzinski (C) ⋄ Julien Gauthier (RW)

Defensemen

Top pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Adam Fox (R)

Second pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller (L) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (R)

Third pair ⊳ Ben Harpur (L) ⋄ Braden Schneider (R)

Goalies

Starter ⊳ Igor Shesterkin

Backup ⊳ Jaroslav Halák

Healthy scratches: D Libor Hájek and F Jake Leschyshyn

Injured: F Chris Kreider (upper body)

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.