With the 22nd selection, the Rangers chose defenseman K'Andre Miller.
- The Rangers traded 26 and 48 to Ottawa for 22. 48 was the pick the Rangers acquired from New Jersey for Michael Grabner.
From the Rangers release on Miller:
- Miller, 18, skated in 58 regular season and tournament games with the U.S. National U18 Team in the United States Development Program (USNTDP) this past season, registering nine goals and 20 assists for 29 points, along with a plus-23 rating and 26 penalty minutes.
- The 6-3, 199-pounder has been a member of the USNTDP for each of the last two seasons (2016-17 and 2017-18).
- Miller helped the United States earn a silver medal at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship, as he registered three points (one goal, two assists) and a plus-four rating in seven games.
- In addition, he represented the United States at the 2016 World U17 Challenge, the 2017 U18 Five Nations Tournament, the 2016 U17 Four Nations Tournament, and the 2017 U17 Five Nations Tournament. Miller has also been invited by USA Hockey to the 2018 World Junior Summer Showcase.
- At the 2018 NHL Scouting Combine, Miller led all participants in the Left Hand Grip (170 pounds) and the Right Hand Grip (180 pounds).
Craig Button said that he is an "elite, elite skater, outstanding athlete. Like Brady Skjei, he has the ability to move the puck up the ice quickly. Call him a puck transporter. When you can quickly get the puck out of your zone and up the ice, that is a good way to play defense and get on the offensive attack."
Bob McKenzie said that there was wide variance among scouts about Miller with one having him at number 10 and others having him as a second rounder.
He noted that Miller has only been playing defense for two and a half years and that he is heading to Wisconsin next season.
Pierre McGuire said that he has "huge potential, gigantic upside. He has live legs, this kid is unbelievably strong, powerful person."
He was compared on NBCSN to Brady Skjei.
He spoke with NBCSN and said:
- On the Rangers moving up to get him, "having an organization like that come to you and really want you that bad means a lot, it shows how your hard work and dedication pays off in the end."
- On being a fourth forward as a defenseman, "I played forward my whole life, this is my second full season playing defense. Up until that point I thought o
He was ranked as the 2nd hardest player to play against by McKeens and was projected to go 17th in their mock draft to the Devils.
He was ranked:
- McKeens: 14
- Future Considerations: 20
- Hockey Prospect: 20
- ISS: 32
- THN: 26
- TSN: 24
McKeens wrote, "Miller is rawer than some of the other available defenders, but his upside is through the roof. Still somewhat new to the position, with high end athleticism and uncanny reads. He will need time with the Wisconsin Badgers, but could be a game changer within a few years.
Craig Button's TSN Scouting report has him as a 4.5/5 for skating, 4/5 for competitiveness and 3/5 for hockey sense, defensive play and puck skills.
ISS listed his size/strength as "excellent," his skating, puck skills, shot and offensive play as "good" and his defensive play, physical play, competitiveness and hockey sense as "very good."
ISS says that he projects as more of a shutdown type defenseman.
Adam Rotter: Miller has great size and reportedly has great speed, athletic ability and a comparison to Brady Skjei certainly doesn't hurt. He is relatively new to defense so I'd expect him to spend at least 2-years at Wisconsin, if not more. The Rangers obviously moved up to get him, so they clearly view him as someone with a ton of upside but probably someone for a few years down the line than right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he is likened, in some way, to Chris Kreider. Kreider was drafted as a more "raw" type of player with great size, skating, speed and upside. Kreider spent three-years at BC and had some growing pains but if Miller can develop his raw skills in a similar way to Kreider than I'm sure the Rangers will be thrilled.