Elliotte Friedman Shares Rangers' Major Off-Season Plans: Possible Trade With the Penguins on the Table

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently reported that the New York Rangers are seriously considering trades for defenseman K'Andre Miller.

The 25-year-old restricted free agent is going to be owed a significant pay raise very soon and possesses arbitration rights, making his team tenure questionable.

Friedman reports that he's been told the Rangers are considering "an awful lot of things" and that "very few things are off the table." General Manager Chris Drury is canvassing teams for his sake so that he can get a read on what's out there.

That suggests that New York is open to listening and has an open mind as they plan their roster.

Miller, the former mainstay on the Rangers' blue line, has displayed elite-level talent in five years, but inconsistency has not permitted the team to be in a position to project long-term with him.

The Rangers can sign him back, but they clearly are weighing whether to sign him to an extension or trade him when his value is at its peak.

Interestingly enough, one of those trade targets is the Pittsburgh Penguins. They are rumored to have a possible trade of Miller for Erik Karlsson or Kristopher Letang.

They are both old-style defensemen with experience and puck-moving ability, the kind of player New York would pursue should they make a shift away from Miller.

Finally, Drury and his administration must decide on a choice that will make or break their club: wager on the further development of Miller or trade him in as a valuable trade chip to rebuild.