Each day over the next month leading up to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, held on June 22 in Dallas, we will be taking a look at the top 31 prospects available, starting with the 31st and leading up to number one.
Next in the series of prospect profiles is our 27th-ranked prospect, defenseman K’Andre Miller.
K’Andre Miller
2017–18 Team: USA U-18 National Team Development Program (NTDP)
Date of Birth: January 21, 2000
Place of Birth: St. Paul, MN
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 206 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: D
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 23
NHL Central Scouting Midterm Ranking: 31
NHL Comparable: Morgan Rielly
K’Andre Miller is among the more intriguing prospects of this year’s draft class. This season was just Miller’s third season playing defense after being a forward for the majority of his life. While the initial transition was rough for Miller, he has made huge strides since joining the NTDP.
Due to his upbringing as a forward, Miller excels offensively. He has good puck skills and offensive awareness. Passing is one of his biggest strengths, as he sees the ice very well. Miller has a good wrist shot with a quick release, but does not have a heavy enough slap shot to be a legitimate point threat. These attributes allow him to be very effective as a power play quarterback.
Miller is an excellent skater who is very strong on his feet. He uses his edges well and is agile as a result. Miller has top-notch acceleration, allowing him to get to his top speed quickly, often times allowing him to cause separation between him and an opponent. His balance and leg strength allow him to win board battles and establish good defensive positioning.
Defensively, Miller does not hesitate to use his size and strength to disrupt the opposition. He enjoys throwing his body around when appropriate. His lack of experience shows in his positioning at times, though he can sometimes make up for that with his skating ability. His defensive awareness still needs work, but has come a long way in his time with the NTDP because of his desire to learn and grow, which is encouraging.
Ultimately, Miller is a very athletic player with all the necessary tools to be successful at the next level if he can continue to develop defensively.
Implications for the Blackhawks
As a player projected to go late in the first round, it is very possible Miller could still be available when the Hawks pick at 27th. He needs a lot of work learning how to be an effective defender, but that will come with time and good coaching, which Joel Quenneville and his staff can certainly provide. Miller is the type of defenseman the Blackhawks generally like because of his good skating and ability to push the offense. While he may be a bit of a risk because of his current defensive deficiencies, he could prove to pay off and be a solid contributor for the Hawks in time.
Timeline
Because of his late start to playing defense, Miller will need time to continue learning the position. He will be attending the University of Wisconsin beginning in the fall, where he will likely need at least a couple of years before making the jump to professional hockey, with a year in the American Hockey League a possibility as well. Do not expect to see Miller on NHL ice until at least 2021–22.
Projection
All of the tools are there to be a solid two-way NHL defenseman in the future with the ability to be a power play quarterback. Coaching will be key in his development in order to reach his potential, which could be very high. He will take a relatively large amount of investment from the team selecting him to get him to where he needs to be defensively. He is a relatively risky pick as a result, but one that could reap huge dividends. It is difficult to pinpoint a projection due to his limited experience playing defense, though the learning curve he is on is increasing his ceiling and giving added hope he will be a special player.
What others are saying
“Miller’s skating ability is combined with good puck handling skills. It is easy to see why he was a forward for so long. He can skate the puck out of danger, and start the transition game by leading the rush. He also makes a good first pass to start the transition game. If there is a criticism it is that Miller plays a game that is almost too conservative at this point. He picks his spots for when to get involved in the offense but seems to wait for a near perfect opportunity. There are times he could push the play more and does not. However, this is an area that has really improved.”
— Ben Kerr/Last Word on Hockey
“Talented two-way defenseman with top-pairing upside who is committed to the University of Wisconsin. A strong skater with very good speed, Miller generates a lot of power into his stride and is starting to beat both opposing forwards and defenders to the outside. His stick and body positioning in the neutral zone are exceptional, and you can count on Miler to intercept more than a handful of cross-zone passes that he quickly transitions into rushes the other way. His ability to make clean passes on either his forehand or backhand, plus the manner in which he sharply pivots his way into bigger openings might explain how such a big and physical defenseman is only a few years removed from being a forward.”
— Steve Kournianos/The Draft Analyst