Canes land Rangers' Miller, give him eight years

The New York Rangers continued a reshape of their roster Tuesday night, dealing veteran defenseman K'Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes, the clubs announced.

In return, the Metropolitan Division-rival Hurricanes shipped a 2026 first- and second-round pick to New York. The first-rounder is top-10 protected and will be the better in the order between Carolina's choice, or that of the Dallas Stars. New York also added to its blue-line depth in the deal, with the inclusion of Scott Morrow, 22, who had one goal and six points for the Hurricanes last season. Morrow was one of Carolina's top prospects, who had 39 points in 52 AHL games last season.

As part of the deal, Carolina negotiated and secured an eight-year, $60 million extension with Miller, who averaged 21:56 time on the ice last season. The contract will carry a $7.5 million average-annual value.

Miller, 25, who played collegiately with the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Conference, was a restricted free agent who was eligible to field offer sheets from other clubs. According to sources, the Rangers weren't ready to commit to Miller long term and decided to go in a different direction. Miller has 36 goals and 132 points in his NHL career, all with New York. He was a first-round pick of the Rangers in 2018.

"K'Andre is a defenseman who we feel is a very strong fit for the way we play," Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said in Carolina's news release. "He is just approaching his prime and we are confident that he will excel in a Hurricanes sweater."

The Rangers are happy about having extra assets in what is believed to be a strong 2026 draft class -- but also are prepared to move those picks at the deadline if they are contending, as they hope to be. The Rangers have a new head coach in Mike Sullivan, formerly of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The move continues a new look on the Rangers' blue line, especially after the club signed veteran Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49-million deal earlier in the day. According to sources, the Rangers envision Gavrikov playing alongside Adam Fox on the Rangers top pair. Gavrikov, a shutdown defenseman, is a player the Rangers have targeted for some time.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, continue to take big swings under Tulsky. Carolina is trying to break through in the playoffs after continued success, including a seven-year playoff streak, including three trips to the Eastern Conference finals. According to sources, the Canes were one of the teams pitching to Nikolaj Ehlers on Tuesday, who was the top free agent remaining in a weakened 2025 class.