K'Andre Miller is eager for his new start after trade from New York Rangers to Carolina Hurricanes
Now, he's eager to jump into the Carolina Hurricanes' aggressive system.
The Hurricanes acquired the 25-year-old former first-round pick to bolster their blue line and gave him a long-term contract on the first official day of free agency. He joins a team that has made seven straight playoff trips and is coming off a third trip to the Eastern Conference final in that span.
Carolina has a headlining defenseman in Jaccob Slavin, but is retooling that group with veterans Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov unlikely to return. The tweaks trading away defenseman Scott Morrow — a rising prospect pressed into playoff duty due to injuries — and draft picks to New York to land Miller.
'They have such a fast team,' Miller said in a Zoom call with reporters. 'They get up and down the ice in a fast motion and they do everything as a team. It's a fun group to watch and they've had a lot of success recently. So I'm excited to join that style of game, and they have a great team over there.'
The Hurricanes project the 6-foot-5, 210-pound Miller as a strong fit with his size and skating ability. They're counting on him to bolster a system that relies on an aggressive forecheck to pressure opponents, get control of the puck and keep it to maintain pressure in the offensive zone.
The Hurricanes are betting Miller is still on the rise, handing him an eight-year contract paying an average annual value of $7.5 million through the 2032-33 season.
There certainly were flashes of it with the Rangers as a regular Metropolitan Division foe for the Hurricanes. The No. 22 overall pick in 2018 by the Rangers has played at least 74 regular-season games for four straight seasons, including posting 17 goals and 56 assists for 73 points over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
But his play fell off last season as he went from looking like a Rangers building block to expendable, coming amid New York's overall crash from Presidents' Trophy winner in 2024 to six points out of a wild-card playoff spot this year.
Afterward, Miller tried to tune out 'all the speculation and kind of noise and uncertainty with New York.' That meant focusing instead on getting stronger and getting mentally prepared for what's next.
And now, that's a new start.
'I think there was a lot of noise throughout the season,' Miller said. 'So I think it was definitely in the back of my head that something could happen, might happen. I loved my time in New York and it was great, but I'm excited for what's to come in Carolina.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
40 minutes ago
- Forbes
Roberto Baggio: Why The 1994 World Cup Star Returned To The U.S.
When it came to sports in the nineties, Michael Jordan ruled basketball, Pete Sampras was the master of the tennis court, and billions worshipped soccer playmaker Roberto Baggio. This week, Baggio, a multiple Serie A champion and Ballon d'Or winner, finally stepped foot back onto American soil nearly three decades after he led Italy to the 1994 World Cup final in California, this time as an official ambassador for Lega Serie A. Luigi Riva and Roberto Baggio #10 of Italy during the FIFA World Cup 1994, United States. (Photo by ... More) The former Juventus, Fiorentina, and AC Milan playmaker began his visit to New York at Serie A's Manhattan office, where calcio aficionados and commercial partners celebrated him for his outstanding 21-year career, which included World Cup appearances at Italia '90, USA '94, and France '98. 'It was truly special to feel the passion for calcio here in New York,' Baggio told guests. 'To return to the U.S. after so many years and see how much love there is for Italian football is quite moving. I want to thank Lega Serie A for bringing me here and for the important work they're doing to grow the game and reconnect fans abroad with our footballing culture.' The following day, Baggio, a devout Buddhist known for his humility and gratitude, took the time to visit the Bronx for a community event with Street Soccer USA, a nonprofit organisation that makes social change. The 58-year-old spent the day with underprivileged children, sharing anecdotes and promoting equity through sport. 'Watching these kids play with joy and freedom reminded me of why I fell in love with the game in the first place,' Baggio said. 'Street Soccer USA is clearly doing incredible work, and I'm honored to be part of this experience. Initiatives like this, supported by Lega Serie A, show how soccer can truly make a difference in people's lives.' Renowned for his dribbling, finishing ability, and free-kick taking, Baggio is widely regarded as Italy's best-ever player, having scored 27 times for the national team, with 205 Serie A goals to his name all attained during the golden era of European soccer. For his efforts, the Caldogno-born attacker later became the first-ever inductee into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2011, beating the likes of Paolo Maldini (2013) and Franco Baresi (2013). Lawrence Cann, Founder and CEO of Street Soccer USA, was thrilled to welcome the Divine Ponytail back to New York. 'Having Roberto Baggio join us in the Bronx was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for the kids in our community," said Cann. 'To see a global legend not just show up, but truly engage—that's what Street Soccer USA is all about: connection, opportunity, and the belief that every young person deserves a shot, on and off the field.' If soccer were categorized into decades, Johan Cruyff would have ruled the 1970s, Diego Maradona the 1980s, and Baggio the 1990s. During the 1994 World Cup, Baggio netted five times during the knockout stages to propel Italy into the Final against Brazil in Pasadena. Despite missing his spot kick in the penalty shootout (and dubbed The Man Who Died Standing for doing so), the overwhelming majority of fans accepted he was the best player of the tournament ahead of Romario. Indeed, Baggio is still widely regarded as your favourite soccer player's favourite soccer player. Accordingly, Inter Miami's Lionel Messi was thrilled to be pictured next to one of his childhood heroes recently at the FIFA World Club reigning World Cup champion remarked on Instagram following the meeting with Baggio, 'What a wonderful visit! Thank you, Roberto, for this special and meaningful gift and for the wonderful conversation we shared. You're a star and a historic football legend. It will always be a pleasure to welcome you whenever you want to come and see us!' In 1990, Baggio's transfer from Fiorentina to Juventus set a world record transfer fee of $11M (£8M). Who's to say what Baggio's market value would have peaked at had he played nowadays? Undoubtedly, somewhere close to Messi's 2017-18 of $211M valuation. Big money was never the driving force behind Baggio signing for perennial strugglers Bologna in 1997 - a move which yielded 22 goals and Italian national team selection for France '98 - and his decision to join Brescia in 2000, the club he single-handedly kept in Serie A for four consecutive seasons. Baggio The Magnificent Philanthropy was always one of the Baggio tenets. In 2010, the United Nations acknowledged him for his fundraising efforts for the Haiti earthquake, the same year he was awarded the Man of Peace title by the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates for his contributions to social peace and justice. Fifteen years on, Baggio is again prepared to exploit his legendary status for good, uniting fans in the land that was as cruel as it was kind to him 29 years ago. 'We're proud to work with Serie A USA to create moments like this.' Lega Serie A's North American community outreach program, 'Serie A Calcio in the Community', partners with nonprofit organizations like Street Soccer USA, which operates in more than 20 cities across the U.S., using soccer-based programming to tackle issues of homelessness, social isolation, and lack of access to opportunity.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Real Madrid vs Dortmund live updates: Club World Cup predictions, team news and latest score
Hello! And welcome along to The Athletic where we were nearing the championship rounds at the Club World Cup. This game, between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at MetLife Stadium, is the last of the quarter-final ties and then there will be just three more matches. There are storylines everywhere you look here with this fixture being a repeat of the 2024 Champions League while also pitting Jude Bellingham against his former club, and now the employers of his brother. Plenty of time to go until this one gets underway, so stick with us.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Cal Raleigh hits two home runs in Mariners' victory against Pittsburgh
Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh is leading Major League Baseball in home runs during the 2025 season, following Friday's games. He was named American League Player of the Month in June, and has 35 home runs and 74 RBIs this season. New York's Aaron Judge is second for home runs with 32. Raleigh went 2-for-4 and hit two home runs Friday in Seattle's, 6-0, victory over Pittsburgh at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington. He also recorded three RBIs and two runs. Raleigh was named a starter for the 2025 All-Star Game, taking place July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, marking his first All-Star Game. He played at Florida State and was an All-America standout. Raleigh was selected in the third round of the 2018 MLB draft (No. 90 overall) by the Mariners and debuted on July 11, 2021. He earned Gold Glove Award and Platinum Glove Award honors in 2024. Raleigh is the son of former Tennessee baseball Todd Raleigh. Todd Raleigh, who will pitch to Cal Raleigh in the Home Run Derby, coached the Vols from 2008-11. At Tennessee, he compiled a 108-113 (42-78 SEC) record in four seasons. Todd Raleigh went to Tennessee after serving as head coach at Western Carolina from 2000-07. He compiled a 257–209 (132–101 SoCon) record with the Catamounts.
