Offseason Questions: K'Andre Miller and the Left Side of Defense

Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider were at the forefront of the New York Rangers questions on offense this summer, and we got an answer on one of those in the form of the Chris Kreider trade, sending the longest-tenured Ranger to the Anaheim Ducks. Alas, this team's largest concerns could be found regarding their plan, or lack there of one, with their defense core.

The Rangers are extremely fortunate, despite what some believe, to have Adam Fox as their number one defenseman. He’s the kind of guy you build around, he quarterbacks the power play, and is the leader of the pack on the back end—no questions asked. Beyond that, there are some big questions, especially when you consider that the guy who, on paper, should be considered their second best defenseman is a restricted free agent, coming off a rough year, and, now with Kreider gone, at the forefront of Rangers' trade rumors. 

Question 3: With or Without Miller, How Do You Improve This Core of Defense?

Similar to how the Rangers can’t begin to structure their vision for next seasons forward group without having a plan in place for Mika Zibanjead, they need to make a decision on K’Andre Miller before they can really put a plan together on defense. Now I’m sure referring to K’Andre Miller as their second best defenseman already got the gears grinding for plenty of you reading this, so before we go any further, let’s really take a look at the Rangers current defense core. 

As established, adam Fox is your number one guy. Next, it’s maybe a toss up between K’Andre Miller and Braden Schneider, who each have their own different strengths that make them standout. But between the injuries Schneider has dealt with and the inconsistency Miller has shown, it really is a toss up at this point. Then you have Will Borgen, who for all intents and purposes is fine for what he is. However, you throw Urho Vaakanainen and now Carson Soucy into the equation and your bottom four is now looking a bit uninspired.