Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Targets: Defensive prospects
By Austin Owens
K’Andre Miller, Defence, USNTDP (USHL)
Another individual featured previously as a target for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Miller has a lot of things to like about him defensively.
While playing on an already talented blueline for the USNTDP, the defender has stood out due to his ability in his own end. The converted forward has taken a liking to his new position over the past few years and now will look to become a formidable two-way force in the pro ranks.
Over the course of this season, Miller scored four times and finished with 16 points in 22 games with the USNTDP Juniors in the USHL this season.
Steve Kournianos of TheDraftAnalyst.com gave his thoughts on Miller in his scouting report of the defender:
"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."
Further on his assessment, Kournianos said he wouldn’t be surprised if Miller has the best career of any of this year’s crop of USNTDP defenders, which includes projected first rounders in Quinn Hughes, Bode Wilde and Mattias Samuelsson.
As mentioned above, the next phase of Miller’s career will take him to the University of Wisconsin, where he will unite with Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2016 third-rounder J.D. Greenway. That will give the Badgers a pair of towering defenders hailing from the U.S. Development Program.
Perhaps Miller is available when the Leafs pick. After playing at the U-18 World Championships, he’s been gaining traction on big boards as a better option than many initially thought.
If he is available come the 25th pick, he’d be a great look for the Leafs. While he has stayed focused on being a shutdown presence on defence during his short career at the position, Miller has shown off his impressive speed for his frame (6 foot 3, 191 lbs). He’s still got the mind of a forward and is finding his stride as a defender.
Like most, the big test for him will be the NCAA, where he will play against older competition. From the looks of it though, whoever lands Miller will have a good one on their hands. He has a bright future ahead of him.