Player Discussion K'Andre Miller

[nyr2k2]

There's hockey IQ which is how you understand the game in terms of knowing where to be, where the play will go, where your teammates ought to be and are, etc. And then there's an instinctual component of that.

I always liked Miller's hockey IQ. It wasn't off the charts but it was solid. We saw him do some really smart things his first two years in the leagues. He seemed to be on the right track.

Something happened where his instincts are completely off. He still knows how to play the game, but he's choosing horrible moments to pinch, when things go chaotic near the net he panics and takes the wrong man, all that. The NHL game is so fast, it can happen, guys have a string of bad play and it just snowballs and they can't recover. Seems to be happening to him. The underlying IQ is still there, though. He could be a good player if he could get the confidence and instincts back on track.

Right now though it's ugly.

 

[94leetch]

Ok what did you mean then? I said "if" you are, didnt put words in your mouth. Make a vague statement and talk about a tin foil hat and then call someone else an idiot. Lol

What I meant was on any other team he would have been benched his pathetic play.
Not here though.
Is that hard to understand?

 

[McRanger92]

There's hockey IQ which is how you understand the game in terms of knowing where to be, where the okay will go, where your teammates ought to be and are, etc. And then there's an instinctual component of that.

I always liked Miller's hockey IQ. It wasn't off the charts but it was solid. We saw him do some really smart things his first two years in the leagues. He seems to be on the right track.

Something happened where his instincts are completely off. He still knows how to play the game, but he's choosing horrible moments to pinch, when things go chaotic near the net he panics and takes the wrong man, all that. The NHL game is so fast, it can happen, guys have a string of bad play and it just snowballs and they can't recover. Seems to be happening to him. The underlying IQ is still there, though. He could be a good player if he could get the confidence and instincts back on track.

Right now though it's ugly.

Doesn't skate. Puck watching. Like everyone on this team. No one rushes to get back, everyone gliding. Watch Mika or Panarin make a turn in the neutral zone. Mika turns like a cruise ship. Miller and the defenseman are not even close to the blue line when guy like Benn waltz right over. They dont want to get hit. We have a team of guys who think they can react and respond but their brains arent working. Mika, Panarin, Fox, Miller. Chief culprits right there but everyone is guilty of learning these habits from the sacred cows.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

What I meant was on any other team he would have been benched his pathetic play.
Not here though.
Is that hard to understand?

Nobody would have gotten that from what you said. Say what you mean.
You said "It's almost like he's treated different than other guys here". Then added something about a tin foil hat. He's treated exactly like everyone else here.

 

[Fitzy]

Pretty sure that, unlike Lindgren, NYR could in theory give him a 1 year QO at 4.6 and still have him be an RFA asset in summer of 2026. But I'd sooner trade him either this season or offseason.

In reality the whole left side of the defense needs to be completely rebuilt over the next 8 months. My ideal way to do that would be to put together a top package for a top 1LD, so we can either have that guy or Fox out there for 48/60 minutes of the game. But it's probably more likely that they play it frugal.

Experiment with Schneider on the left with Fox. Hell, maybe experiment a little with Fox on the left. I could see him making itwork but no one has the stoned to do that to a top player.

 

[McRanger92]

 

[Mac n Gs]

Glad that everyone has finally caught on to Housley being a problem. Called it out in June that the entire defense had regressed under him, and it's only continuing to get worse. Drury won't get out of his own way though by being married to another coaching staff, despite Laviolette being the wrong hire to begin with.

The two most promising pieces they had to build around were Miller and Schneider, and they're both getting worse in key areas. It's a shame.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

This is Larry carrying water for the team again, they refuse to fire Laviolette so now they're testing the waters on canning Housley when in essence the entire coaching and development staff should be canned.

 

[McRanger92]

This is Larry carrying water for the team again, they refuse to fire Laviolette so now they're testing the waters on canning Housley when in essence the entire coaching and development staff should be canned.

The entire braintrust should be canned. Drury last gasp is going to be consummating this JT Miller trade. If he can't get it done I bet he's fired after the season. No skin off my ass.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

The entire braintrust should be canned. Drury last gasp is going to be consummating this JT Miller trade. If he can't get it done I bet he's fired after the season. No skin off my ass.

Agree, ideally I'd get rid of drury and hire someone to bring in their own staff. And no more of this President and Gm being the same guy, GM needs to be accountable to someone. Not sure why Dolan is so resistant to that.

 

[McRanger92]

Agree, ideally I'd get rid of drury and hire someone to bring in their own staff. Not sure why Dolan is so resistant to that.

They did have their best season in franchise history last year and we aren't even at the midway point of this season yet. Druy's seat is hot in my eyes but I dont see a new boss coming in mid-season and changing much. The coaching staff is a different story.

 

[Row I Goon]

There’s rot from top to bottom - from upstairs to the coaching room. How da fuq we got to the ECF last year is a bloody mystery as the entire edifice has now crumbled.

 

[Mandar]

I think the highest I'd go with him is 8y x 6m

I'd like it if he took less, but I'm not going short term with him. 7/8 years is what I'd want.

He's got flaws, but there are like 10 defenseman in the NHL that don't have flaws.
He also has tools that are elite, and when he's using the correctly (which happens more and more often every year), then he's one of the best defensive defenseman in the game.

pure.....unadulterated.....comedy

 

[McRanger92]

pure.....unadulterated.....comedy

8 years! 6 million AAV! Id waive K'Andre for nothing before giving him anything close to that. this guy should be looking for real estate opportunities on the west coast because that's where he's gonna be soon.

 

[offdacrossbar]

Miller is a lazy player. He plays slow. He glides and he doesn't engage with his body. She's a stick guy who uses the stick for leverage and to try to break up plays. He's does not use his body to gain any advantage. He's allergic to the boards and doesn't even try to hide his disinterest anymore.

He's mentally vacant and physically inadequate.

I've seen enough. This isn't a guy to invest anymore time in. Move him before it's too late.

 

[94leetch]

According to Brooks Miller is Housley's fault?

 

[Mandar]

8 years! 6 million AAV! Id waive K'Andre for nothing before giving him anything close to that. this guy should be looking for real estate opportunities on the west coast because that's where he's gonna be soon.

Now, now......be careful here. There must be some other underlying reason why some people think he's not a good player......whatever could that be @IDvsEGO ?????????

 

[SA16]

It's because he's a converted forward and still learning defense. Maybe by the time he's 35 he'll have enough experience to make the right play.

 

[bl02]

I remember his against the Pens being matched up against Crosby in the playoffs and doing a decent job at what 21 years old? WTF Has happened

 

[will1066]

Brooks woke up angrier than usual it looks like. And he just won co-sportswriter of the year for New York state by the National Sports Media Association.

 

[Crease]

The forward to defense thing doesn’t explain why he is materially worse this season. I get “do not care” vibes from him.

 

[LokiDog]

There's hockey IQ which is how you understand the game in terms of knowing where to be, where the play will go, where your teammates ought to be and are, etc. And then there's an instinctual component of that.

I always liked Miller's hockey IQ. It wasn't off the charts but it was solid. We saw him do some really smart things his first two years in the leagues. He seemed to be on the right track.

Something happened where his instincts are completely off. He still knows how to play the game, but he's choosing horrible moments to pinch, when things go chaotic near the net he panics and takes the wrong man, all that. The NHL game is so fast, it can happen, guys have a string of bad play and it just snowballs and they can't recover. Seems to be happening to him. The underlying IQ is still there, though. He could be a good player if he could get the confidence and instincts back on track.

Right now though it's ugly.

I have been less down on Miller than most up until now. Given he was only 24 (though now about to turn 25) with the massive athletic tools that he has, and the positives we have indeed seen earlier in his career, I have felt that with time and a better coaching system and a stable, consistent partner, he has too much raw talent to not round into, at least, a really attractive 4-6 D who “should” have been more because of his physical gifts, but never quite got to that level. And that would still be valuable. Sort of what Rasmus Ristolainen has slowly rounded into, as a 4/5 level D who also brings elite size and reach.

Last night, I watched K’Andre look like my 8 year old would if I was the forechecker. He stood there, inexplicably handling the puck in place above his own goal line on the wall. He could have gone up the near wall, rimmed it hard around the boards the other way, and even though it’s frowned upon, he had enough time and space to even throw it up the middle without risk of it being intercepted. He stood there until Sam Steel (a good 5 inches shorter) closed the gap from being outside the blue line to right in KAMs face, and then panicked and basically “shot” the puck right at Steel, who easily picked it off and went on to then out work KAM in the corner and set up the tying goal.

He didn’t even have to “make a play”. He literally just had to move the puck. Anything would have been acceptable. Anyone can have a brain fart but that… that one is going to stick with me and make it a little harder to have faith that the potential is still there for him. That was one of the absolute worst plays - because of how SIMPLE it ought to have been - I have ever seen, and while defending a lead? I’m still shocked this morning. I know that one play doesn’t negate the perception I used to have of his potential and that it still may be good to see him with a consistent, full time competent partner as well as better coaching… but I also think that his value will soon begin to drop precipitously as other teams begin to catch on and the window for moving him while he still has some shine around the league is essentially now or never.

 

[leetch99]

Well....the way Miller dishes the puck off to the left and to the right I think he should be a center....LMAO....He has to go . He sure regressed under Lavi and Housley .

 

[McRanger92]

I have been less down on Miller than most up until now. Given he was only 24 (though now about to turn 25) with the massive athletic tools that he has, and the positives we have indeed seen earlier in his career, I have felt that with time and a better coaching system and a stable, consistent partner, he has too much raw talent to not round into, at least, a really attractive 4-6 D who “should” have been more because of his physical gifts, but never quite got to that level. And that would still be valuable. Sort of what Rasmus Ristolainen has slowly rounded into, as a 4/5 level D who also brings elite size and reach.

Last night, I watched K’Andre look like my 8 year old would if I was the forechecker. He stood there, inexplicably handling the puck in place above his own goal line on the wall. He could have gone up the near wall, rimmed it hard around the boards the other way, and even though it’s frowned upon, he had enough time and space to even throw it up the middle without risk of it being intercepted. He stood there until Sam Steel (a good 5 inches shorter) closed the gap from being outside the blue line to right in KAMs face, and then panicked and basically “shot” the puck right at Steel, who easily picked it off and went on to then out work KAM in the corner and set up the tying goal.

He didn’t even have to “make a play”. He literally just had to move the puck. Anything would have been acceptable. Anyone can have a brain fart but that… that one is going to stick with me and make it a little harder to have faith that the potential is still there for him. That was one of the absolute worst plays - because of how SIMPLE it ought to have been - I have ever seen, and while defending a lead? I’m still shocked this morning. I know that one play doesn’t negate the perception I used to have of his potential and that it still may be good to see him with a consistent, full time competent partner as well as better coaching… but I also think that his value will soon begin to drop precipitously as other teams begin to catch on and the window for moving him while he still has some shine around the league is essentially now or never.

He waved off Lindgren too. So cocky and entitled and lo and behold it's behind your goalie in the net. Where are the leaders to tell him that's not acceptable. they aren't on the rangers bench (players or coaches), that's for damn sure.

 

[eco's bones]

There's hockey IQ which is how you understand the game in terms of knowing where to be, where the play will go, where your teammates ought to be and are, etc. And then there's an instinctual component of that.

I always liked Miller's hockey IQ. It wasn't off the charts but it was solid. We saw him do some really smart things his first two years in the leagues. He seemed to be on the right track.

Something happened where his instincts are completely off. He still knows how to play the game, but he's choosing horrible moments to pinch, when things go chaotic near the net he panics and takes the wrong man, all that. The NHL game is so fast, it can happen, guys have a string of bad play and it just snowballs and they can't recover. Seems to be happening to him. The underlying IQ is still there, though. He could be a good player if he could get the confidence and instincts back on track.

Right now though it's ugly.

There were at least a couple seasons and 92-93 is one example when the entire Rangers defense looked like shit and Brian Leetch even looked really bad at times. Chasing after pucks, bad pinches, both defenders caught behind the net, deflecting pucks into their own net, leaving their feet to try to block passes that get through anyway, too many dumbass penalties along with brain dead moments. It seems like one of those years.

Team confidence drops players start not to trust teammates to support in the right way. These things can snowball and it ain't long before the margins of error evaporate which we're seeing right now. The Rangers are going to need 60 standings points in the second half of the season to sneak into the playoffs. That's somewhere around 75% of what points remain. That win % is a tall task for a team that's playing very well and near impossible for a team that isn't and playing confused hockey half the time.

He's not playing confident hockey but Miller I think will eventually get his game back but it's too late for this year. My issue now as far as he's concerned is his upcoming contract. If he wants too much I'm getting rid of him. I'm kind of like looking at Chytil's contract as where I'm at with him. 4 years at about $4.5. You might give K'Andre 4 years at $5. If that or something in that neighborhood is not good enough for him I'd be thinking of moving him.

Keeping all that in mind the LD position is a team weakness and he's still our best option to keep going forward. Lindgren is going, Jones is going. Vaakanainen is a bottom pair guy--7D. Fortescue looks like a great stay at home prospect but we'll see what we see when he turns pro.