NHL insider drops K'Andre Miller bombshell, reveals shocking detail on star D-man's $60M Hurricanes deal

The Carolina Hurricanes added defenseman K'Andre Miller after claiming his rights from the New York Rangers. Soon after, they signed him to an eight-year, $60 million contract. The deal makes Miller part of the team’s long-term core, which already has players like Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman talked about the deal on the 32 Thoughts podcast. He said the Rangers didn’t want to go long-term with Miller, but Carolina was willing to take that risk.

"You know, the Hurricanes are willing to take a bet," Friedman said. [6:14 onwards] "(But) The Rangers weren't willing to go long term with Miller. They were only willing to go, I think a couple of years. Obviously, Carolina was not afraid of that. (And) We'll see how that works long term."

Friedman said the Hurricanes moved quickly after they missed out on Evan Bouchard.

Carolina even looked into trading for a third-round pick from Utah. They needed it for an offer sheet if needed. Instead, they made a direct trade with the Rangers.

"The Rangers were aware of it, and they got that deal done pretty similar to what an offer sheet would have looked like," Friedman said.

"Like Carolina didn't have their third-round draft pick that they needed next year, and I believe Utah's got it. ...the Rangers saw what was coming, and the two sides worked out a deal."

The K'Andre Miller deal included prospect Scott Morrow and 2026 first- and second-round picks.

Hurricanes HC praised K'Andre Miller's signing

Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour liked the move, saying K'Andre Miller brings size, speed and potential offensive upside.

"Everybody's looking for big defensemen (like Miller) who have that mobility, and he certainly has the potential," Rod said about Miller's trade, and subsequent extension, via NHL.com. "(Miller will) maybe even keep getting better. (And) I think it's a really good move for us."

Miller has played 368 NHL games and 43 playoff games. Speaking to the media during his introductory press conference earlier this week, Miller said:

"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."

After losing to the Florida Panthers in five games in the Eastern Conference, Carolina hopes Miller helps them stay near the top of the league. Only time will tell if the long-term deal pays off.